The Inevitable
by missmocha77
Summary: After hearing those three usually insignificant words, Itachi knew he was going to die. However, he would make sure that his death meant something to someone. DISCONTINUED.
1. Uchiha Itachi, Five Years Old

This is my first fanfic. Please review and give me advice!

Warning: This goes through Itachi's life from when he was five to his death. This not an UchihaCest fic. I took some liberties with the facts, as well (such as Itachi's Genin team). Later, it will have some character death and heavy swearing. There will be a little romance, but it is not a big part of the plot.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

When he was five years old, his brother had been born.

Uchiha Itachi was disgusted by the sight of him. He was shriveled up, ugly, and fat. The thing that bothered him the most was the babe's incessant crying.

"Silence," the child said. The newborn did not stop. Uchiha Mikoto chuckled under her breath. Itachi looked curiously at his mother. What was so humorous about the wailing of a child?

"He has nice lungs. He'll become a healthy, handsome boy," she expressed, beaming down at the child. Itachi felt remorse eating at him from the inside out. A small grimace appeared on his boyish face.

Ever since he was born, Itachi had been sick. The doctors didn't know what it was, but they were sure he'd be fine. Of course, they let the illness take its course. One day, Itachi started to cough. He had been coughing ever since. All of Mikoto's lady friends adored his pale complexion, saying how lucky he was, how pretty his face was. Itachi thought he looked dead. He was scared of what the disease would do and what pain he would have to face.

Itachi hated the sight of the baby. Surely, **it **would be Mikoto's new favorite child. Of course it would be. It was a healthy pink color, strong, and **loud**. It still had not stopped crying.

With a fond look in her eyes, Mikoto turned to her son. "Would you like to hold him?" she inquired. Itachi winced at the thought. Holding that thing? What a preposterous idea!

"No, thank you, Mother," the boy replied politely. The smile on Mikoto's face fell.

"W-well. Alright," she stated shakily. She rocked the newborn in her arms back and forth to lull it to sleep. Eventually, the noises out of its mouth ceased. A sigh of relief came from Itachi's mouth. The grating noise on his ears had finally stopped. Itachi stood up and respectfully bowed.

"Good night, Mother," he announced.

"Good night, Itachi-kun," she replied, starting to coo at the baby. Itachi felt jealousy tug at his heartstrings. He walked out of the room and headed to bed.

The next day, Itachi woke up roughly around six. He quickly put on day clothes and walked stealthily to the doorway, each step making no noise. He slipped on his sandals and hastily exited the house, knowing he was already running late. No one was waiting for him, but Itachi liked to be prompt.

He went into his very own little training session. It was in the middle of the forest, and it was fairly quiet, excluding the birds' singing. There was an empty space cleared out for him. Trees closed in on him.

Five trees, five targets. He leapt into the air with five kunai in his hands. He closed his eyes, feeling where each of the targets were, then released his knives. The throw was feeble and weak. None of the kunai hit their targets. He tried again. Still none of the targets were hit. He tried for six more hours, only twice more did one of the targets get hit. Itachi glared at the targets. He had an almost uncontrollable urge to just rip and stomp on the stupid things. However, he did not have time. He had to hurry home for lunch. Yet again he was running late; the insistent growling from his stomach reminded him of that. He finally reached his house and opened the sliding door. His mother was waiting for him at the step.

"Where have you been?" she scolded. "I've been worried sick!"

Itachi bowed respectfully. "Forgive me, Mother. I was out training and lost track of the time. I sincerely apologize."

Mikoto narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't give me that nonsense. I bet you were out playing. I couldn't find you anywhere! What do you have to say for yourself?" she shouted at him.

Itachi's eyes welled up with tears. Soon they were overflowing. He never remembered his mother being so callous. He should have known. His mother loved the baby more than him after all. "I'm very sorry," he sniffed. Mikoto gasped softly. She had not seen her son cry in years. His lower lip was trembling, and his cheeks were red. She crouched down next to him.

"Oh, Itachi. I didn't mean to yell." She pushed his bangs out of his face and looked him straight in the eye. "You know I love you, right? I was just worried that something happened to you. Mama would cry herself to death if something happened to you." Itachi continued to look to the floor, his face sullen. Mikoto sighed. This was proving to be harder than she thought. "Itachi." No answer. "Itachi," she said, sternly this time. He looked up, his eyes puffy and still watering. "I want you to know something. It's a secret, okay?" Itachi nodded eagerly, unsuccessfully trying to rub his tears away. Mikoto continued. "No matter what you do, who you associate with, or who you become, I will always love you," she whispered with a smile on her face. At this time, her son had became a sobbing wreck.

"Mommy," he whimpered, arms outstretched. Mikoto gave the boy a much needed hug and picked him up.

"Now! It's time to make lunch," she exclaimed. "Come help me out, Itachi." The little boy nodded. She put her mouth close to his ear and whispered, "We're having cabbage and seaweed onigiri today!" Itachi's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

From then on, cabbage and seaweed onigiri were his favorite foods.

The day after, Itachi woke up at exactly six, feeling refreshed and slightly happy. That is, until he got out of his room. He searched for his mother to tell her where he was going, a new rule they had established the day before, only to find a crib bearing a baby. An awake baby. Itachi treaded to the crib, finding the baby's innocent eyes open and looking at him. Itachi stared down at it for a moment. Suddenly, the baby did something unforgiveable.

It smiled at him. Its hands reached toward him, wanting to be picked up. Itachi hesitated but gave in, making sure to support its neck on his shoulder. Mikoto walked in on him, stopped, and grinned. It had taken nearly a month, but Itachi had warmed up to his brother. Itachi gaze flickered to her. "What's his name?" he asked.

"His name is Sasuke," Mikoto replied, beaming.

"Sasuke," Itachi echoed.

That morning, Itachi hit all of his targets.

* * *

Uchiha Fugaku was not a patient man. He disliked his son's tendency to be late which must have been inherited from his mother. The woman was always bustling about, keeping busy. Of course, as clan head, Fugaku had many responsibilities. He had to keep the clan elders happy, the clan happy, the village elders happy, and his wife happy. As the saying goes, "Happy wife, happy life." He did not dare chastise his wife for her lateness, but he was free to do so with his son. Gently, of course.

Their training was in an unrestricted area, free to the public eye. Usually elders or a couple of squealing women would come. Today, he saw a most unexpected and unpleasant person.

"Hyuuga," he stated coolly.

"Uchiha," came Hiashi's reply.

Ever since their academy days, Fugaku and Hiashi had been bitter rivals. The two clan heirs had been unfortunate enough to be put in the same squad together along with their female member of the team, Hyuuga Satomi, and instructor, Tanrou Shigeki. The two men had always been arguing over things, and Shigeki-sensei and Satomi often had to break up their arguments or fights. They had always promised to battle, but after Hiashi's father had fallen ill, he had to pick up many of the clan head responsibilities. Shortly after, the Hyuuga head had died, and it was time for Hiashi to take over. Shaking his head, Fugaku had regretted not challenging him earlier.

Silently, both the men contemplated having an all out fight at that very second but decided to be civil with each other for a few more moments.

"Ah, how is Mikoto?" Hiashi inquired.

"Ah, she is well. How is Satomi?" he answered without flinching.

"Ah, she's great. You can begin to see the pregnancy now."

"Ah, that will be your heir, will it not? Will it be a boy?" He questioned.

"Ah, it will be a girl," Hiashi replied. Fugaku nearly did a dance of joy until Hiashi interjected. "But! It will be sure to be strong for it is my offspring."

The two men were sure to explode at each other any moment now, and that was when Itachi came running. "Forgive me, Father. I had to watch over Sasuke."

"Not now, Itachi," said the elder Uchiha as he stared down the Hyuuga clan head.

"Uchiha," said Hiashi, "I've been thinking that the time for our battle has been long past due."

"I agree, Hyuuga. I would like to assess your abilities."

"Ah, yes. It is time to see who's kekkei genkai can conquer over the other."

"Is that a challenge, Hyuuga?"

"Yes, Uchiha. Right now!"

Both of them made hand signs and transported to a more suitable location for the fight, leaving Itachi alone. He blinked a few times, confused as to what happened. He then realized that he could see every hand sign that the pair had made. _"Boar, dog, tiger,"_ he had said out loud to himself. "Boar, dog, tiger. Boar, dog, tiger. Boar, dog, tiger," he kept repeating like a mantra. A couple of girls had passed him, a couple of village commoners, and they had giggled.

"Hello, Itachi-kun," the blonde one greeted.

"Hi, Itachi-chan!" the redhead squealed.

"Good morning, ladies," he replied with his best manners.

"Oh, look at him. He's so polite. Isn't that sooooo cute?" they shrilled. "Where are you off to?" one asked.

"I need to find my mother, Mikoto. Have you seen her?" he coolly replied.

"Your mother? Ah, Mikoto-san! Oh, um, she was at the maternity store with Satomi-san."

"Thank you. Have a nice day, ladies," he said with a bow. He then walked off to find his mother while the girls were still chattering about him.

He broke into a sprint until he reached the maternity store. He bowed to the store keeper. He bumped into a woman. He looked up and saw it was Satomi.

"Good morning, Aunt Satomi. Is my mother around?" he asked respectfully.

"Oh, she's right over there," she said, pointing. "Shouldn't you be with your father?" she asked.

"Yes, and I need to speak with her," Itachi said. He brought his voice down to a whisper. "It's urgent."

Lady Hyuuga softly laughed, and Itachi blushed, noting that her laughter sounded like bells. "Okay, Itachi. I'll leave you to it." Itachi went to his business. He shot to his mother as fast as he could.

When he got there, she was muttering under her breath. "To think I had to wear these three months ago... Oh, hello, Itachi! Aren't you supposed to be with Dad?" she queried.

"Mother, he took off with Uncle Hiashi. They seem to be having a battle, "Itachi reported dutifully. Something flashed in Mikoto's eyes, and she let out a sigh of frustration.

"Come on, Itachi. Let's go before they kill each other. Satomi!" she called out.

"What's wrong, Mikoto?" she asked.

"Those two are at it again!" Mikoto replied.

Satomi shook her head. "Those two... always something to argue about isn't there. Ah, very well. Let's go." The two women hurried off with Itachi in tow. Itachi wondered what the big rush was. When Satomi took Itachi's hand, he smiled a little to himself. She was a very nice lady, worthy of respect. Though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, Itachi liked her.

When they arrived at the scene, the men were not using any jutsu. It was terrifying. There were scorch marks and mauled trees even, but the men had gotten tired of jutsu. The kekkei genkai didn't even matter anymore. It all came down to brute force. They were truly just trying to beat each other up.

"Hiashi!" Satomi cried. Itachi glanced at the man. His face was covered in bruises. They were starting to swell. "Hiashi!" she cried out again. "You promised me you wouldn't do this!"

"Not now, Satomi!" shouted Hiashi as he swung a fist at Fugaku's left cheek. It hit its mark, but at the same time, Fugaku kicked at Hiashi's knees and made Hiashi fall to the ground. The two were on the ground panting, struggling to get up.

Satomi decided to take charge. She stomped over to her husband and bended over to whisper in his ear. Immediately, Hiashi's face lit up. He jumped to his feet. "Good day, Uchiha," he stated. "That was a nice fight we had. I feel refreshed."

Fugaku smirked. "Going home with the wife, I see. Ah. Well, I feel refreshed as well. Have a nice morning." The couple skidded off, holding hands.

Itachi was confused. "Mother, what just happened?" he asked. Mikoto tenderly looked down at him. She narrowed her eyes in delight.

"You'll understand someday."

* * *

There was a feeling of great disruption in the air. Itachi could feel it wafting around. There were great thundering noises. The whole ground shook, and Itachi could hear people yelling. "What is that?" he pondered aloud to himself. It was very ominous, and even Itachi felt a little bit frightened. Suddenly, Sasuke started to cry. Itachi decided to toughen up for his brother's sake. He was the older brother after all. "Don't cry, Sasuke. Your brother is here to protect you, no matter what happens." he declared. Sasuke started to calm down, and Itachi's lips turned up in a shy smile. Yes, he would always protect Sasuke. No matter who got in his way.

The nine-tailed fox had wreaked havoc on the village. Many shinobi had died in the battle, including the Yondaime. Somehow the fox had broken its seal all on its own. It did not make sense to Itachi. The seal for bijuu were known to be very strong, stronger than almost any other seal. It did not make sense that it could have broken the seal from the inside to out. Surely there had to be another force that had cast off the seal from the outside...

The new unfortunate host was Uzumaki Naruto, a boy with no more hope. He was destined to live his life in solitude.

* * *

Yashiro had landed himself in the hospital, and Fugaku had insisted on visiting him. Itachi did not want to see him. Ever. Yashiro did not like Itachi one bit. Itachi believed it was because he jealous of Itachi's ability at such a young age. Itachi wasn't even in the academy yet, but he could already execute the Great Fireball Jutsu. _Snake, tiger, monkey, boar, horse, tiger,_ he reminded himself. Yashiro had watched him perform it once and had sneered at him. Itachi was not scared, but he did not like Yashiro.

When they arrived at the hospital, Mikoto whispered, "Be polite." Itachi nodded. He would not anger Yashiro any further so he might aggravate his wounds. They slid his hospital door open and saw that Yashiro had no other visitors and was alone except for the nurse. The nurse bowed deeply to Fugaku with a forced smile on her face and exited the room.

"Yashiro, how is your leg?" Fugaku asked. Yashiro's leg was set in a cast and elevated. _He looks fairly miserable,_ Itachi thought with a smile.

Yashiro smirked. "Oh, it's great. I should be able to get out of here by tomorrow. I'll be able to go on a mission by next week." He stared down condescendingly at Itachi, but Itachi kept his words nothing but polite.

"Yashiro-san, I hope you recover without any difficulties." Yashiro looked taken back and nodded, plastering a nervous smile on his face. With a small smirk, Itachi knew he had won.

* * *

Mikoto was nervous. She was very rarely nervous, and that's what caught Itachi's attention. She was pacing around the house, checking in on Sasuke every two minutes, and mumbling under her breath.

"Mother, I am going to train," declared Itachi. Mikoto merely nodded absentmindedly, her hands folded and her head bowed. Itachi took one good look at his mother and decided to take action. "Mother, are you alright?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice. Mikoto turned to him and gave him a weary smile.

"Ah... Itachi, don't worry. I've just been up all night waiting for some news about a friend, and I'm a bit tired. You go out and have fun now." Mikoto had dark circles under her eyes. Itachi couldn't help but worry. She looked exhausted and almost depressed.

"Very well, " Itachi replied. "I will be leaving now." He hopped down the step, put on his sandals, and slowly strutted out the door. He wanted to give his mother some privacy, but he was concerned that something had happened. He had never seen her so fidgety before, and he wished to investigate the cause. However, that would be dishonorable.

Itachi went to the lake. He saw that Shisui and his older brother Inabi were there. He attempted to hide, but it was too late. Shisui had spotted him.

"HEY!" he shouted obnoxiously. "Hey, Itachi, what are you doing?" Itachi kept his back to him, forced on a polite smile, and turned around.

"Hello, Shisui-san, Inabi-san," he pleasantly stated. Inabi nodded at him in acknowledgement but went back to his fire training.

"Hey, hey, hey, Itachi! Are you going to start academy soon?" Shisui asked excitedly. He was quite literally bouncing up and down.

"Yes, when I turn six," informed Itachi. Though he wouldn't admit it, he was dreading going to the academy. He would rather stay at home and watch Sasuke with his mother. "I am looking forward to it," he lied smoothly.

A common misconception about Itachi was that he didn't lie. That was a big mistake. In fact, Itachi lied quite often. Usually, it was to please his father or the clan elders. This time, he lied to get Shisui off his back. _He has always been quite irritating, _pondered Itachi with a frown on his face. The problem was, Shisui was starting to know how to tell when Itachi was lying.

Shisui grinned. "You're lying," he jabbered. Itachi smiled a bit.

"Yes, I am," he spilled. At that time, Shisui smiled so large that Itachi wondered if a mouth was supposed to stretch so much. He started laughing.

"I knew it! Haha! Dad was telling me that you had good manners and were respectful to all adults! I knew you weren't that perfect!" he shouted. Itachi just looked at him with a smirk.

"Shisui, come over here. You still have not perfected the Great Fireball," Inabi called out sternly.

"Aw!" whined Shisui. He slouched and shouted, "Do I have to?"

"Yes, now come over here." Shisui pouted and snorted. He stared at Itachi before patting him on the back.

"I have to go," he said loudly. He then dropped his voice to a whisper. "I'm going to set Inabi's butt on fire," he reported with a sneaky look in his eyes. He then raised his voice and bellowed, "I'm coming!" He trotted over to Inabi while Itachi grinned openly.

Itachi then executed the Jutsu perfectly, making his biggest fireball yet.

* * *

A messenger had arrived during dinner. Mikoto sprang to the door and snatched the letter from his hands. She hurriedly ripped the envelope open. She read the contents slowly, despair painting itself on her countenance.

She slowly came back the table, her head hung. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes glistened with tears that would not fall. Fugaku grabbed her hand and asked, "What is it?"

She shook her head and let out a quivering sigh. " Fugaku," she choked out. "Mikazuki is dead." Fugaku sharply took in some air. He stared tenderly into Mikoto's eyes. _A sight very rare to be seen,_ Itachi noted. Mikoto gripped Fugaku's hands tightly, nails digging into his skin. He ignored it.

"What now?" Fugaku inquired softly. Mikoto sighed again.

"They're sending Haruna over. She'll be here tomorrow," she responded.

Itachi was confused. Who was Mikazuki? Who was Haruna? There were so many unanswered questions.

Fugaku had Mikoto in a tight embrace. "I'll take care of it," he muttered. "She can stay here until I get her a place of her own." Mikoto breathed in Fugaku's scent. It calmed her a little bit, though she still felt jittery.

"Thank you," she mumbled. They slowly parted, and Fugaku kissed Mikoto's forehead gently.

"We'll be right back," Fugaku stated. He glanced down at Itachi. "Come, son. We need to have a talk." Itachi dutifully hopped down from his chair and followed his father. They walked leisurely until they reached the dock at the lake. Fugaku positioned himself at the edge with his feet in the water. "Sit," he ordered. Itachi sat, legs crossed. Fugaku cleared his throat in preparation of speaking. "Itachi," he began, "you can tell that your mother is very upset." Itachi nodded. Fugaku continued. "A dear friend of hers has died recently. Today, actually. She has requested that we take care of her child." Fugaku frowned. "It is a girl."

"Haruna-san?" Itachi asked. Fugaku shook his head up and down in agreement.

"Yes, Itachi. So... we have to set some ground rules with Haruna." Fugaku looked around awkwardly, as if to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation. He cleared his throat again, and a slight redness came up to his cheeks. _That's odd_, Itachi realized. "Well, Itachi. You are aware that girls are different than boys, right?"

"Yes, Father," replied Itachi. "But how so?" he inquired.

"A-ah... well, girls... they like their privacy," Fugaku started out. Itachi looked at Fugaku quizzically. Fugaku shook his head. "Ah, never mind. They're just... different. Anyway, you are to treat her with more respect than a boy, understood?" Itachi nodded.

"Father, how long will she be with us?" Itachi queried.

In reply, his father groaned something like, "Forever."

* * *

Mikoto was beaming, mumbling things about "always wanting a little girl." Itachi was befuddled. How could a woman go from happy to sad in such a short time? He would never understand girls.

Itachi was unlucky enough to have girls following him wherever he went. They would scream horrid things at him like "Itachi-sama," "I love you," "Marry me," "He's so cute," and "What a cute ass!" Many were middle-aged housewives who never got the Uchiha of their dreams. They were all so loud, so obnoxious, so terrifying. Girls were scary things, indeed.

Mikoto squealed excitedly. "Here she comes!" she exclaimed loudly. She bent down to dust Itachi's shirt and pants off. "Now, Itachi?" she started. "I need you to be on your best manners. Haruna-chan is probably very fragile right now; her mommy just died, you understand?"

"Yes. Should I not talk to her about her mother?" Itachi replied. Mikoto smiled warmly at him.

"Probably not," she answered, with a gleam of sadness in her eyes. Mikoto stood to her full height, grabbed Itachi's hand and walked him to the door. There was a knock, and Mikoto called out, "Come in!" The door slid open, and Itachi saw her.

A little girl about his age was crying silently. She had jet-black hair that was cut to just beneath her hair line, puffy blue eyes, a small backpack with very little belongings, and tattered clothes. She was pitiful. The man escorting her handed a letter to Mikoto. She eagerly took it and stuffed it in a pocket. She then dismissed him, and he exited with a bow. She leaned over to Haruna. "Hello, Haruna-chan. I'm Mikoto. I'm going to be taking care of you from now on, okay?" Haruna nodded with a sniff. "Itachi," his mother said sternly, inside a command was hidden.

"Um. I am Itachi. Nice to meet you," he greeted, short and simple.

"I am Shinora Haruna," the little girl said. Itachi noted with distaste that she was taller than he. "Nice to meet you," she added.

* * *

Fugaku was at his limit. For the past week, the girl had not said a thing to any one of them. Not a single thing! She simply walked around with hollow eyes, clinging to Mikoto. Mikoto was elated, of course. She compared Haruna and herself to a chick and mother hen. However, the girl was still gloomier than a ghost. Paler, too.

Finally, he had some alone time with his son. Hopefully, his son was more kind to her than he was. He just couldn't help himself. Knowing what her mother was, it was hard not to believe that she hadn't tainted the girl in some way. Back in the day, Mikazuki was an excellent shinobi. A beautiful woman as well. Fugaku just wondered how Mikazuki got herself into such a mess. As he entered the kitchen, he saw the girl sitting across the table from his son. She noticed him at once. _Strange,_ thought Fugaku. _She isn't even facing my direction. _He tapped Itachi on the shoulder. "Son," he said. "It is time to train." Itachi nodded and slid down from the chair. Mikoto looked up from nursing Sasuke.

"Be safe," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Itachi noticed that it was directed towards Haruna. Haruna stood up.

"Excuse me," she called out softly. Fugaku whipped his head around. It was the first time he had heard the girl talk, and he didn't want to miss it. "Can I come?" she asked in a whisper.

Fugaku was appalled. He couldn't believe this girl had the nerve to ask to come along. After all the bad manners and glares, it was outrageous. He started to say "Absolutely not" but was interrupted by Itachi.

"Absolutely," he allowed. Fugaku clenched his jaw as his wife giggled at him. "Very well," he grunted. "Come along." The girl left nervously as Mikoto edged her on. Itachi took Haruna's hand to lead her.

When they arrived at the lake, Itachi released her hand and informed her that this was the Uchiha training spot. Color appeared in her cheeks for the first time in days. "It's pretty," she exclaimed. Itachi smiled and nodded.

"Yes, it is," he replied.

Fugaku felt a surge of annoyance run through him. His son was warming up to the girl awfully fast.

"Haruna-san, at this lake, we practice our fire Jutsu," Itachi told Haruna.

"Wow, that's really cool!" she muttered loudly. She flung her sandals off and placed her feet in the water with an enormous splash. "Itachi-san, could you teach me?" she asked excitedly.

"Certainly," Itachi responded. "If you teach me a Jutsu as well, Haruna-san." Fugaku looked at his little boy with pride. He was already learning how to bargain. However, the girl probably didn't know any Jutsu at all, so it was a weak bargain on Itachi's part. The girl beamed.

"Okay, Itachi-san. What Jutsu would you like to learn?" she asked with a mischievous smile.

"Doesn't matter," was his answer. Her mouth expanded at an alarming rate.

Itachi taught Haruna to do the Great Fireball Jutsu in one hour.

* * *

That's chapter one! Please review and tell me what you think!


	2. Uchiha Itachi, Six Years Old

Thanks for the lovely reviews! Enjoy the next chappie!

* * *

Itachi walked with his father to the academy. Though looking quiet emotionless, the boy was nervous. His palms were sweating very lightly, and he was clenching his teeth so hard that it was painful. His footsteps were slightly jerky, but Itachi did his best to hide it. With a grimace, Itachi realized that his father had noticed it.

Fugaku couldn't blame the boy. Itachi did not like socializing with young children, even if they were roughly around the same age. The only exceptions to that rule were Sasuke and, _Painstakingly, _he thought, Haruna. The silly girl had come around. She had turned out to be quite the chatterbox. _A very LOUD chatterbox, _Fugaku reminded himself. However, Itachi softened, just a bit, when he was with her. He still did not act six, but it was the closest he would ever get. Fugaku had even arranged for Haruna to be with Itachi at the academy so he wouldn't feel too overwhelmed; damn, the girl was like his security blanket.

Itachi and his father walked in silence until they reached the academy doors. Fugaku indulged himself in a rare smile. "You'll do well, Itachi," he said with a hint of pride. Itachi caught it.

"Thank you, Dad."

* * *

Itachi's hands were clammy. Uruyo-sensei had insisted on introducing Itachi in front of the whole class. Twenty pairs of eyes were upon him. With a sense of dread, Itachi realized that Haruna was not there. _I can't do this, _he realized, feeling a bit faint. However, it would sully the Uchiha name if Itachi were to faint, so he composed himself quickly. _Haruna will come, _he tried convincing himself.

"Everyone, this is Itachi. He is the heir and prodigy to the Uchiha clan," Uruyo said smugly, glad the Uchiha head had decided to put Itachi in _his _class. Hushed conversations broke out. Itachi despised the attention. With a sort of relief, Itachi noticed Shisui in the corner, waving. Itachi managed a weak smile. "Everyone!" Uruyo sternly said, demanding attention. "Please be nice to our new student." Murmurs of welcome rushed out all at once. Itachi was still anticipating Haruna's arrival. _Please,_ he implored. _Please, God. Let Haruna come._

"What's this?" Uruyo thought out loud. He flipped to another page on the clipboard. "We have another new student. Ha-ru-na." he separated all the syllables. "Is Shinora Haruna here? Haruna-chan?" Everyone looked at each other, wondering where the new student was.

Itachi heard the door slide a little. He sees Haruna peeking in, searching on both sides.

"Maybe she's not here, Sensei!" a girl yelled out. Uruyo shook his head up and down, almost dismissing the complete thought of Haruna.

"Okay, let's move o-"

"She's here." Itachi interjected, fierce protection laced in his voice. Itachi noticed that Uruyo gulped.

"A- ah. Okay. Well, haha, um, come on in Haruna-chan!" Uruyo called out cheerfully, albeit nervously.

"San." Itachi corrected. A nervous chuckle emerged from the teacher's mouth.

"Ah, yes. Haruna-**san**. Come introduce yourself."

Haruna shyly walked to the instructor and Itachi. Itachi openly smiled at her, and it was returned. "Hi. I'm Haruna." She timidly projected. Her bashful demeanor did not last very long. Soon, Haruna and Shisui met, and disaster ensued. Itachi started to believe that he was in a place very similar to hell.

* * *

It was a normal day in Konoha. It was bright, sunny, and pleasant. At least, for everyone but Itachi. He had to squint to shield his eyes from the sun's rays, and his whole face was scrunched up. When they were inside, it was better. The light from light bulbs did not hurt as much, even if the lectures were old and tedious. Even if he had to listen to Haruna blabber on and on about what they were learning and how it fascinated her. Itachi could handle it. But this was too much.

Now annoying girls that were two to three years older than him were following him. Again. He wished they would stop so badly. He wished Haruna were there to save him. He stopped in his tracks and turned around, his smile polite and social. "Chita-san, Tomoko-san, Himi-san, Rairi-san, good morning." he greeted with an edge of coldness in his voice.

"Good morning, Itachi-chan!" they chorused, except for one. Itachi winced at the high pitched noise. He thanked Rairi silently for being silent, even though she did not particularly like him. In fact, due to the scowl ever present on her face, it was clear that she really hated him.

One girl, Chita, reached out to him and said "Come eat lunch with us, Itachi-chan!"

"Yes, come eat lunch with us," echoed Tomoko.

"Come on, Itachi -chan!" Himi cheeped. Itachi was trapped. If he refused, the girls were sure to tag along with him. However, he most certainly did not want to eat lunch with them. He felt uncomfortable under their gazes, knowing they found him attractive or "cute." He prepared to lie again.

"Himi-san, I have business to-"

"Hey, Itachi!" Haruna barged in. Itachi thanked her telepathically even though he knew she was simply being obnoxious again. "Let's eat lunch!" Itachi sighed. She had no idea how much he appreciated her repellent nature.

"Okay, Haruna." The girls gasped as they realized that Itachi dropped the suffix, as did Haruna. How could they be so close? It was preposterous!

"Hey, Shinora! Don't address Itachi so impolitely!" Tomoko called out. Haruna cocked her head to the side, confused. _A dog,_ Itachi compared.

"But Itachi and I are friends!" Haruna said with triumph.

"I suppose," Itachi concurred. He could see as the once "delightful" girls blew up into rage. They tried to control themselves. They failed.

"You stupid idiot!" growled Chita. She ran towards Haruna with evil intent in her eyes, seeing if Itachi would move to save her. Itachi knew her intentions.

He did not move.

Chita grinned in supposed triumph. She believed now that Itachi didn't care for Haruna. Itachi shook his head. No, it wasn't that. He simply had faith in Haruna.

As Chita aimed for Haruna's head with a feeble kick of anger, Haruna ducked underneath her leg, crouched down and swooped her calves under Chita's ankles. Chita gave a cry; her knees gave out underneath her, and she fell.

Haruna smirked teasingly. "I win," she mocked.

* * *

Sasuke cooed and giggled. Itachi smiled down at him in the crib. He shook his stuffed cat at Itachi and made a gargling noise. Itachi frowned. He did not know if that noise was supposed to be coming out of a baby. Sasuke raised his hands up, wanting to be held. Itachi obliged.

"Ta-Ta!" Sasuke squealed, grabbing fistfuls of Itachi's shirt. "Where mommy?" he asked. Itachi smiled. Even he had to admit that the broken sentences were cute, adorable even.

"Mother and Father are busy right now, Sasuke," he explained. Sasuke giggled then put a strand of Itachi's hair in his mouth. He released it, and it was covered with drool, but even Itachi could not bring himself to care about that right now.

"Ta-Ta!" Sasuke giggled loudly. He scrambled off Itachi's lap and began to crawl around. Itachi rest his head in his hands for a moment before he heard a loud "ooh." His eyes sprang open, and Itachi saw Sasuke observing an electrical outlet. He started to move his damp, spit laden finger toward it...

"No!" Itachi yelled, moving at a very fast speed. He snatched Sasuke's arm away from the dangerous object. Sasuke looked up at Itachi, eyes glistening, nose running, and lip quivering.

"Outlet, bad." Itachi explained in simple vocabulary. Sasuke's face brightened up, realizing his brother was just trying to protect him.

"Love Ta-Ta!" Sasuke squealed. He stood up and walked towards Itachi. He then sat himself in Itachi's lap.

Itachi looked at his dear little brother fondly. _I love you, too,_ he agreed.

* * *

Thank you for reading! If you have any recommendations, please tell me. Also, please review to nurture my malnourished soul... :D


	3. Uchiha Itachi, Seven Years Old

Thank you all for the reviews and favorites! They all warmed my heart. :3

Warning: This chapter contains silliness.

Read on!

* * *

Fugaku was irritated. Leaping from tree to tree, he and his team had been dispatched to assassinate a shinobi called Momochi Torino. He was a fairly freshly risen shinobi but had already killed 478 people. Of course, no one had seen this ninja before so Fugaku was beginning to think he was a myth. After all, what ninja comes to power in such a short time after training? _No one, that's who,_ Fugaku noted. A tip off to the Sandaime indicated where the new nuisance was. Suddenly, a deep, baritone voice spoke up.

"Fugaku." The owner of the voice was Tekka. "How do we know that this Torino even exists? For all we know, he is just a legend." Fugaku eyes narrowed. He looked to the other teammate, Yakumi. Yakumi, though an incredibly strong Uchiha, was shy and rarely spoke. He saw Fugaku glowering at him, and he panicked.

"W-well, um... There's a rumor going around that Torino isn't only Momochi Zabuza's student; he's also his son," he stuttered. Tekka grunted. Fugaku shook his head in disagreement.

"Impossible," he declared. "Zabuza is known as the one swordsman who does not care for sexual relationships with women.

"Wise," Tekka added. "Women bring the downfall to powerful men." Fugaku sighed in frustration. _Not always true,_ he contradicted silently, thinking of Mikoto. He slowed their pace. He could begin to see the outlines of the hut the brat was supposedly stationed in. They walked in snow that was halfway to their calves, grunting mentally because it was difficult to walk. They were completely and utterly silent. They reached the front of the hut. Tekka put his fingertips on the sliding door handle without a single sound.

Three kunai flew through the door.

Fugaku's eyes immediately changed to Sharingan, and he dodged them all swiftly. Yakumi gasped a little before covering his head and ducking. Tekka had gotten grazed on the shoulder and groaned at the injury before running a distance away from the small shack. Fugaku took action. He beat down the door and tossed it aside. He examined the hut.

Inside were three children. One girl and two boys. One of the boys glowered at him, staring straight into his Sharingan. He abruptly stood up, tense and prepared to fight. He had dirty-looking, dark hair that seemed extremely soft; his eyes were a hard blue. He had multiple scratches and bruises on his countenance and body. His shirt was tattered, and his visibly clenched teeth accented his slightly blue lips.

The other boy had his eyes closed, not even facing in Fugaku's direction. His dark brown hair defied gravity; it was naturally spiked. His legs were underneath a blanket, and his tiny feet were sticking out. He slowly turned to them and opened his eyes. Fugaku took one step back, looking into the boy's half lidded eyes.

The boy was blind. There was a blank, void look in the child's eyes, and for some reason, it was horrifying.

The girl let out a feral snarl, baring her teeth. Fugaku shot daggers from his eyes, meaning to intimidate her. Instead, it was he who was scared. Her eyes were blood red, and her eyes narrowed at him. Fugaku shivered; the Her hair was totally straight, silver-white, and went down to her rear. She had a flimsy night gown on, probably not even protecting her from the cold. The shack did little good as well. The powerful wind blew right through the thin wood of the walls and roof. Fugaku prepared himself. Momochi Torino could be anywhere in the room, most likely holding these kids hostage. He cleared his throat.

"Where is Momochi Torino?" he demanded. The blind boy turned to the direction of his voice.

"There are two others outside," he informed the other children. The girl nodded, made a sign with her hands, and went back to glowering at Fugaku.

"What do you want with me?" she counterclaimed, her eyes locking him in place.

"You?" Fugaku scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. What would I want with a little girl like you?"

"You tell me," the girl said. Fugaku moved in on the trio. He knew it was time to start delivering threats. The children were obviously loyal to him.

"Tell me where he is, or I swear I will-" Fugaku was interrupted by a sharp jab at his stomach. He stumbled backwards but quickly recovered.

"Now!" the girl screamed. The young ones separated, and the two boys had vanished. The girl hopped back a couple of feet and stared down Fugaku. Fugaku absentmindedly poked at his ribs and winced. They were broken. Suddenly a scream resounded in the air.

"Tekka!" Yakumi cried out. Freshly spilled blood was clearly seen on the snow. The blind boy had slashed Tekka's chest. _Impossible!_ thought Fugaku. He turned to go help Tekka out but was intercepted by small hands grabbing his collar.

"No way," the girl sneered. "It's you and me, old man." She then slammed him to the ground. Fugaku grunted and coughed up something red. _Blood_, he realized. He unsheathed his sword and swung it at her. An explosion of snow got in his way. The snow whirling around endlessly like a blizzard stung his eyes and halted his breathing. Then he realized this was a Jutsu. A formidable one. The girl was gone.

The girl had used no hand signs. Fugaku gasped in exasperation. The enemy was powerful, perhaps too powerful_. No, don't think like that,_ Fugaku chastised himself. _Think positive, positive!_ It was hard to be positive in a situation like this. Fugaku realized something.

The girl was a toddler. No more than Sasuke's age. **And** she was Momochi Torino. Fugaku had been foolish to underestimate her. The Hokage himself had been foolish to not send precautions. He could now feel her chakra literally oozing out of her pores. It was heavy and immense chakra, almost strangling him with just the feel of it. Fugaku looked around, standing heavily on guard. He could not sense her anywhere; the chakra was too thick. He looked to Tekka and Yakumi. Yakumi was attempting to handle two boys on his own while Tekka laid down, unconscious. Both of them were badly, if not fatally, injured. Fugaku let out a hissing noise.

"Where is she?" he growled, bringing out his sword to the front of his body. He inhaled and exhaled with great difficulty due to his rage. "Come out, Torino! Don't be a coward!" he roared. He stood on edge, trying to find her. She wasn't up; what went up must also come down. She wasn't behind, in front, or on either of his sides. "Where are you?"

The ground beneath him broke as a palm connected with his chin. Torino came up from underground. She grabbed onto his neck and held it in a death grip. Fugaku growled while he brought his sword down on her face. It slashed her eyelid, and she hissed savagely at him. Fugaku managed to push her off. He decided to save his team for the mission would not be able to be accomplished. All of them would end up dead. _Useless deaths_, he collaborated.

"RETREAT!" he shouted. Yakumi looked up painstakingly at him. "RETREAT!" he repeated. Yakumi nodded, slung Tekka over his shoulder, and performed the Transportation Jutsu. Fugaku glared one last time at Torino before following suit.

They had all summoned emergency chakra to transport themselves to Konoha's hospital. Yakumi let Tekka flop to the ground and bended over, putting his hands on his knees.

"What the hell was that?" he cried out, the first time Fugaku had heard him swear. Unfortunately, he was too tired to care. Sweat and snow soaked his shirt.

"I don't know," he panted shakily. "I just don't know."

* * *

Itachi had graduated the academy yesterday. Today, he was meeting his new team. His new jounin sensei was Sotaro Hapinara. He wasn't famous for being strong. Oh no, he had obtained his fame some other way. How? Hapinara-sensei was known as an avid lingerie stealer. Yes, he collected women's underwear. A legendary pervert.

Itachi sighed. At six in the morning, there wasn't much he did besides train. Sometimes Shisui would tag along, yawning and complaining the whole way. However, Itachi had lost track of the time while playing with Sasuke yesterday. He went to bed late and was now very tired. Itachi thought over the time fondly. He had given chase to Sasuke who ran from him while he needed to take a bath. Sasuke would giggle every time Itachi had cornered him and would proceed to run away again. Itachi smiled.

"Ah, it was worth it," he mumbled to himself. He strolled leisurely to the designated meeting spot. In his mind, he was already late even though the training was to start thirty minutes later. His sensei was already there.

Sotaro Hapinara was not a young man. He was quite an old man, in fact. Ancient, really. His skin was extremely wrinkled, and he had shrunk to under three feet. If Itachi had to give a guess as to how old the man was, he would say about 112 years of age. He was nearly bald but had a typical Asian mustache, two lines extending from just beneath the nose. He was in a meditative position. Itachi marveled at how the man could continue his meditation even when Itachi had arrived. It required complete focus and concentration. _Maybe he isn't as bad as everyone thought_, Itachi contemplated.

Another member of the team had arrived. With his flaming red hair and big, brown eyes, Saobi was hard to miss. Itachi and Saobi stared at each other for a couple of moments. Whereas Itachi was the top student of the class, Saobi was the worst. They knew that was the reason why they were put in the same team, however, Saobi was not on good relations with Itachi. Simply put, he hated him. Itachi knew that, too. He had once made a rule not to hate anyone without good reason, but just this once, he could make an exception.

Finally, the last member of their team arrived. Itachi could hear them coming but did not want to turn around. When his teammate had gotten close enough to talk to, Itachi turned around. He sighed in relief, sounding almost content. He did not have to get to know another person. With a tiny smile, he bet that his father had pulled some strings

"Ah, it's you," he stated. She ignored him.

Haruna greeted, "Hi, Saobi-kun!" The corners of Saobi's lips lifted into a toothy grin.

"Good morning, Haruna-chan!" he shouted cheerfully. "It's great that you are on my team, not some Itachi fan girl." Haruna tried to stifle her giggles with little success. Itachi glared at her. _It's not my fault all those stupid girls keep stalking me,_ he thought irritably. Haruna turned abruptly and squatted, looking at Hapinara.

"What's he doing?" she asked skeptically.

"He's meditating," Itachi answered. Haruna shook her head. Saobi gave Itachi a quizzical look.

"I don't think so," he said. He went forward and pinched the shinobi's nose. Itachi's respect and admiration had been wasted. A snore came from the old man's mouth. He had been sleeping.

* * *

When the old man had woken up, he introduced himself. "Hello, everyone! Let's introduce ourselves. State your name, favorite food, age, hobby, and goal! For example, I am Sotaro Hapinara, one of the greatest ninja of all time. I like to eat Yakisoba. I am very old. My hobby is collecting lingerie, and my goal is to marry a beautiful woman some day!" he informed excitedly. He gestured to Haruna. "Your turn."

Haruna shied away from Saobi a little bit and scooted a little closer to Itachi. "Hi, I am Shinora Haruna." Hapinara's eyes narrowed a bit at the sound of her last name, and it did not go unnoticed by Itachi. "Um, I like Inarizushi, I'm seven years old, my hobby is reading, and my goal is to become a ninja as great as my mother," she said with a toothy grin on her face. She nudged Saobi. "Your turn." Saobi revealed a set of white, white teeth.

"Okay," he started. "My name is Saobi. My favorite food is Age Tofu. I'm ten years old. My hobby is gambling." Hapinara's eyes widened at this, and his lips curved upward. It was obvious who the favorite was. Saobi pointed an accusing finger at Itachi. "My goal is to become strong enough to beat this cocky bastard!" he shouted.

Hapinara nodded. "Good, good," he said. "Your turn." He indicated Itachi. Itachi straightened his back and sat up.

"My name is Uchiha Itachi. My favorite foods are cabbage and rice balls. I am seven years old. My hobby is training." Hapinara winced at this. Training wasn't the boy's hobby; That much he knew. _It's just that Fugaku won't let Itachi do anything else,_ he realized. Itachi continued with, "My goal... I've never really thought about it."

Hapinara slapped his knees and stood up. "Now, we're going to do the bell test."

Saobi looked at him, confused. "Didn't we already pass the Genin test?" he asked.

"Yes, you did. But not **my **Genin test," he said with a playful smile. Itachi frowned. It was bothersome since he knew he would pass it anyway, not matter what it was.

"The objective of this test is to get these bells before nightfall. You must use cunning and wit to get them. You will absolutely NOT get them if you don't come at me with the intent to kill. I will stay in this training grounds at all times. Now go!" The three Genin leapt into the trees.

* * *

Itachi and Saobi were in trees next to each other. Saobi looked around and then scooted over to Itachi. "Hey, hey. Let's team up!" he whispered. Itachi glowered at him.

"Why should I pair myself with you?" Itachi hissed quietly. Saobi rolled his eyes.

"You dolt! I heard they're only going to pass five teams! You know our classroom. There are at least twelve teams in there." He pointed at Hapinara. "We have over a 50% chance of failing. We got to get those bells or we're out of here." Itachi raised a brow. Saobi did make some good points. However...

"What about Haruna?" he asked. Saobi sighed.

"Here's the thing. Haruna's our competition. She may not be particularly strong or fast, but she's smart. She'll figure it out with or without us." Itachi nodded.

"Very well. Let's plan," he agreed.

* * *

Haruna had left the training grounds, knowing where she was going next. She arrived at Mikoto's door and let herself in. She walked over to Mikoto, who was washing dishes. Haruna tugged on her apron to catch her attention. Mikoto gasped.

"Oh, Haruna-chan! It's just you," she sighed. She put down a plate. "What's up?"she asked, wiping soap suds off her hands.

"Auntie Mikoto, I need to borrow something..."

* * *

Itachi and Saobi failed six plans. They were on their seventh. Both were tired, and nightfall was coming.

"I've got to hand it to him," Saobi panted, "that old man is fast."He slumped over and took a sip of water out of a blue, shiny canteen. Itachi grimaced. He had injured himself as well. His shirt had been ripped, and he was dehydrated.

"Nightfall is coming," he commented, watching the red and magenta hues of the sky.

"No shit," groaned Saobi. He wiped sweat off his upper lip with the back of his hand. "Let's go," he said. Itachi nodded. Neither of them were holding back this time.

The battle was tedious. Itachi had used many Fire Release Jutsu, and Saobi had run out of weapons. The old man wasn't even tired. Hapinara yawned.

"Boy, I sure am tired. Hungry, too. Will you boys please just hurry this up?" Hapinara taunted. Saobi cursed under his breath. They were both hungry and tired. Once Saobi had gotten close to getting the bells, but it was useless. The old man had them overpowered.

A sudden rustling in the bushes caught their attention. Haruna came out from them, squatting. She had a bag. She reached into the bag and started searching for something. She waved over to the man. "Hey, Hapinara-sensei! Want to trade?"

Hapinara couldn't believe his eyes. It was too good to be true. In her hands, she held a brassiere and panties. His hand was shaking. He reached out toward the panties, but Haruna snatched them away. She grinned. "Nu-uh. These are Mikoto's. Oh, they're freshly worn, too."

"Freshly... worn?" Hapinara repeated.

"That's right," Haruna affirmed. "I don't want to give them up, but maybe, just maybe, if you gave me those bells, I would give them to you." Hapinara's eyes gleamed. The temptation was too great. Itachi gave a weary grin. Haruna did it.

"Okay! Okay! You can have the bells!" he cried. He tossed the three bells over to her. She, in return, tossed the lingerie to him. He caught it and whimpered with joy. "Oh, my precious babies," he said, nuzzling them.

Haruna handed each of the boys a bell. She smiled at them mischievously. "I am smart, aren't I?" she asked. Saobi groaned.

* * *

Fugaku was in the hospital. Mikoto rushed over and left Itachi a note. Itachi skimmed it over then threw it away. He just had to heat up some leftovers for Sasuke and himself. Sasuke grabbed his fork and chewed on it. His grip on it slipped, and he accidentally stabbed himself in the cheek. He immediately dropped the fork and started to cry.

"Ta-Ta!" he screamed. He wailed uncontrollably. Itachi ran over to him and picked him up.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," he comforted, stroking Sasuke's hair. Itachi was worried about his father, but he had a duty. Sasuke.

Fugaku had three broken ribs and a fractured hand on top of countless bruises and cuts. Mikoto saw him and brought her hand up to her mouth. "Thank God! You're okay," she cried.

"Luckily," Fugaku grunted. "I almost didn't come out of there alive," he explained. He patted to a space on the bed, motioning for Mikoto to sit. She did, and she cupped his face.

"I love you," she mumbled. Fugaku raised his hands and placed them over hers.

"I love you, too," he whispered before bringing her down for a kiss.

* * *

That was chapter three! I think this has been my favorite so far. Anyway, reviews are fuel, I would love to hear some feedback! :D Also, I just love reviews. :3 So review!

Love,

missmocha


	4. Shisui's Birthday

Hello! I have yet again updated!

Just a note: Fugaku is actually here for comic relief in this story, believe it or not. I didn't want him to be that cold of a person. He's a nice dad.

Disclaimer: I haven't, do not, and will not own Naruto. Ever.

Now, on with the story!

* * *

It was Shisui's birthday. The event was strictly almost completely clan dominated. Few outsiders were let in. Of course, Itachi was expected, no, forced to go. He had learned to tolerate Shisui, but even the Uchiha clan had some female... followers that Itachi would like to avoid. However, his mother was bustling about, not letting him have a word in. He sat Sasuke in his lap and poked him lightly on the forehead. Sasuke giggled, and Itachi let a rare smile shine through. Most of his smiles were usually directed towards Sasuke.

"Ah!" Mikoto shouted. "The salad!" She hurried to wrap the salad up. Her hair was tied up very messily and had bits of food in it.

"Mikoto," Fugaku wheezed, "most families have personal cooks here." He was very tired. Exhausted, really. The whole day, he had to help Mikoto cook and get ready. She shot a nasty look at him.

"Not today, they don't!" she shrilled. "Danzo's coming." Fugaku paled. Oh, this was not good. Fugaku hated the man. Well, maybe not hate; it was a strong word. He was definitely aware of his doings, though. Danzo wanted to recruit Itachi for Root. Fugaku declined. His boy was already quite emotionless, thank you. He had no qualms about not sending his son to Root. That went for Sasuke as well. Never would he allow his sons to fall into enemy's hands.

"That's... not good." He sighed. He hated this. He hated being clan head; it was such a bother. True, it was a great honor, but... it was a waste of time in Fugaku's opinion. Why couldn't the clan just listen to the Hokage for once in their rotten existences?

"Papa!" Sasuke squealed, wanting to be held. He waddled over to Fugaku's chair and tugged on his yukata while jumping. "Fly!" he demanded.

Fugaku knew what his son wanted. He picked Sasuke up from underneath his arms and tossed him in the air. Sasuke giggled uncontrollably. "Whee! Fly!" Fugaku smiled. Itachi had never asked for things like this. While Sasuke was quite a cheerful baby, Itachi was quite unhappy. When he didn't get his way, he would cry for hours; Fugaku knew for during the night, his son would only accept _his _comfort.

Mikoto let her hair loose. She scoffed and gathered the food. "Time to go!" she shouted. "Itachi, come help your poor, old mother out, will you?" Itachi dutifully took the salad. She flashed a look at Fugaku. He gulped and took the casserole. Mikoto strapped Sasuke into his stroller and started walking towards Shisui's home.

Itachi suddenly realized he had no protection. No kunai, not shuriken, not even a senbon! "Crap," he whispered.

How was he to defend himself against girls now?

* * *

Sasuke grabbed his juice bottle and chewed on the cap. Mikoto heaved a giant sigh. "Stop that, Sasuke. That'll be the second one in a month."

"He's still teething?" a familiar voice asked. Itachi looked up to his right. His face turned a little green.

"Aunt Uruchi," he greeted with a break in his voice. She was the worst of them all. He knew what was coming so he prepared himself. He could sense the hands coming toward his face...

She started tugging in different directions at his cheeks with her thumbs and index fingers. "Oh, hello, Itachi! You've grown so much. You're already a Genin!" she exclaimed. "Oh, you're such a fine boy," she complimented.

"Awigado," Itachi slurred, unable to speak properly. She finally released her hold on his cheeks, now pumping with a vibrant red. Itachi resisted the urge to rub them soothingly.

"Well, I have to go prepare so I will see you at the festivities, Mikoto!" she called out.

"Uh-huh," Mikoto whimpered.

* * *

When they arrived at Shisui's house, Mikoto took all the food and handed Sasuke, who was peacefully sleeping, to Itachi. Fugaku ran off to argue with Hiashi. "Take care of Sasuke, Itachi. He's a bit... cranky when he wakes up." Itachi nodded. Sasuke had a rather bad temperament when he was awoken. Itachi dove in to the crowd to find his cousin.

There were many people. So many people. Itachi hated. They were all getting in his... space. His cousin bounced toward him. "Hey, Itachi!" he chirped. "Big crowd, huh?"

"They're breathing my air," Itachi responded shakily. Shisui looked at him, confused.

"They're... what? You know what, never mind. I probably wouldn't understand anyway." He waved his hand at him. "Oh, oh!" he cried. "There's Shima-chan!" he whispered hurriedly. He pointed to a group of girls. Itachi rolled his eyes. Shima had been Shisui's long time crush. They had went to the academy together. Itachi didn't like her. She was quite an adept stalker, though, he had to give her that. She was also the daughter of a powerful landlord so he did not want to get her unnecessarily upset."Hi, Shima-san!" Shisui cried out cheerfully.

She smiled a vibrant smile in their direction. At Itachi. Shisui saw his cousin go pale. The girls encased them in a circle, squealing and chirping.

"Itachi-sama!" she cheeped. She noticed Shisui. "Oh, hey." she muttered blandly. Shisui looked down, depressed. "Oh, Itachi-sama, it's been a while. It's wonderful that you've already graduated the academy; you're so talented!" She never gave Shisui a thought. "I'm graduating this year; maybe I'll replace someone on your team," she bragged. "I've gotten pretty good; in fact, I'm the top of my class. Oh, by the way, who's in your team? I want to know who my competition is."

"Shima-san, Shinora Haruna and Saobi are in my team," he reported politely. "They're quite talented young shinobi. Especially Saobi," he said, letting in a rare compliment. While it was true that almost all Saobi did was complain, he trained vigorously and was very hardworking. It was also obvious that he was the pervert's favorite. Itachi shuddered at the memory of their first "mission." They had to help Hapinara collect underwear. Itachi was not chastised, but Saobi and Haruna were chased by women with brooms, pots, and pans. Women just playfully flirted with the seven year old. _Shameless,_ he thought as he shook his head.

"Oh, they shouldn't be that hard to beat." She waved her hand at him. "Anyway, I'm sure you're even stronger than your sensei!" Itachi frowned.

"Oh no," Shisui chided. "Sotaro-sama is very strong, actually. He just seems..."

"Insane." Itachi finished. "Very insane."

Shima grimaced. "Oh, Itachi-sama. I've missed you so much. We should hang out sometime." Shisui's face fell. "Just you and me." She batted her eyelashes for effect.

"No." Itachi coldly rejected. Shisui's face brightened. "I refuse to do such things with** you.**" Shisui started doubling over in laughter, unable to contain himself.

Shima's eyes were puffing up very quickly, and her face was becoming blotchy. She made a choking noise. Some girls gasped. "Shima-sama!" one whispered. Chatter broke out amongst the crowd.

Shima faced Itachi, tears streaming down her face. "Itachi-sama, you're so cruel!" she screamed. She pushed Itachi, thus pushing Sasuke. Sasuke awoke and made a giant racket. He let out a blood curling scream and began to wail. For the first time in his life, Itachi felt pure, unadulterated rage bubble up to the surface. Something felt changed, and he didn't know what it was.

"Do not touch my little brother," he whispered fiercely, glaring at the group of girls. All of them whimpered and took a few steps back. Shisui gasped.

"Itachi, you...!" Shisui started then shook his head. "Nah, now's not the time." Itachi rocked Sasuke back and forth, trying to soothe the toddler.

"Hush, hush. It's okay," he mumbled. Sasuke's tantrum eventually calmed down, but something had changed within Itachi. Something big.

* * *

"That is your son?" Danzo asked Fugaku, pointing at the boy with his cane.

"Yes. He is the pride of our clan." Fugaku kept the icy exterior he had when handling people outside his family. "I have great things planned for him." However, Fugaku hadn't thought of one yet nor did he ever plan to.

"Interesting," Danzo noticed, seeing Itachi protecting his little brother.

* * *

Up on the rooftops of the Konoha was a masked figure, tall and strong. Through his swirled mask, he noticed that a certain Uchiha boy, in the midst of fan girls while protecting his brother, had unleashed the Sharingan.

"Quite the prodigy, isn't he? That Uchiha Itachi," he pondered aloud to himself.

* * *

I have but one simple request.

REVIEW!


	5. The Interference

Thank you once again for all the lovely reviews. :D I might not be updating for a while, so sorry. Anyway, this story has gotten over 400 hits and that makes me happy. :3 Anyway, this chapter is just a bit boring, but it's beneficial to the plot. Also, I'm thinking about making the chapters a bit shorter. Do you think I should? It'd have all the same content in it... Well, anyway! On with the story!

Disclaimer: I have not, do not, and will not own Naruto. Ever.

* * *

Today, Itachi had a mission. It was just a message delivery, not urgent at all. Hapinara was being strangely cautious, though. Well he had always said it was better to be "safe than sorry." However, Itachi understood the old man's weariness. There were more rustling of bushes than usual, and Saobi was goofing up again.

"Hey, hey! What's in this letter?" Saobi asked loudly.

"None of your business, brat," Hapinara replied. Saobi moaned.

"Grah! Why are we walking so far for a letter that we don't even know what's in it?" he complained.

"Shut up, Saobi!" Haruna snapped. We're all hot! We're in the freakin' desert! Do you expect it to be like Konoha?" Saobi laughed.

"That would be nice!" he mocked. He pounded his foot! "I want to know what's in it right now!" he whined stupidly. Itachi rolled his eyes. He, too, wanted to know what is in the letter, but it was not so detrimental that he would begin acting like Saobi. In terms of maturity, Itachi had a list. The list went like this: Mikoto, Fugaku, Inabi, Shisui, stalker girls, Sasuke, Haruna, Hapinara, babies, poop, Saobi. Itachi shook his head sadly, knowing that last level would never change.

Haruna soon began to lag behind. Unfortunately, none of the Genin had any strength left so Hapinara called a break.

"Sorry, guys," Haruna apologized. "I'm more used to the cold than the hot." Itachi and Saobi silently pondered where she was from before. She wiped some sweat off with her hand, and Itachi saw how tan her skin had become in the past day.

"You are darker than the sand," Itachi commented. Haruna gasped and scrutinized her body with her now frighteningly bright, blue eyes.

"Will you look at that?" Saobi laughed. "You look like you're from Suna yourself!" Hapinara nodded his head.

"It's alright, Haruna. I'm sure that someday a man will find you attractive," he soothed. Haruna shot a glare at him.

"The three of you should have told me earlier. Now I'm... I'm... black!" she cried. She rubbed her arms and legs relentlessly. She eyed Itachi with fury. "You shouldn't have told me now!" She squinted a bit. "Itachi," she said, "you're peeling." Itachi tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, telling Haruna he was confused. She rolled her eyes. "Your nose."

Itachi's hand reached his nose slowly. He went cross-eyed to inspect it. His finger peeled off some skin, and Itachi realized that his nose was red.

He had gotten sunburn.

"Curse my pale skin," Itachi hissed. The other three began laughing at him. "It's not funny," he said, a hint of a whine coming up.

"Y-yeah, it is!" Saobi squealed, tears coming out of his eyes.

Hapinara smiled. "Saobi, be a nice student and get us all some water. Haruna, go with him."

The two students groaned, but Saobi mentally thanked the old pervert. _Hehe, some __**alone**__ time with Haruna,_ the boy mischievously thought. It was a well kept secret that he liked Haruna. Had quite the crush on her, in fact. The old man noticed the way Saobi would "accidentally" hit Haruna sometimes. The boy showed affection in an odd way, but Hapinara was cheering for them so he would send them on little treks like this.

Anyway, he needed to talk to Itachi. "Itachi," he said, getting the boy's attention. Itachi's head instantly snapped to look his sensei in the eye. "Do you know about Haruna's mother?" he asked in a serious, non-characteristic voice. Itachi shook his head.

"Haruna doesn't talk about her very much. All I know is that her name is Mikazuki." Itachi informed. Hapinara nodded.

"Do me a favor, boy." Itachi was attentive. "When we get home, research on the Shinora and Mikazuki. I'm too old to do that sort of stuff anymore." Itachi slowly shook his head in agreement.

"I will, Hapinara-sensei."

The boy with flaming hair and the girl with brown skin trotted back to the conversing duo. "We got your water, Hentai-sama!" Saobi yelled out cheerfully.

"Don't call me that!" Hapinara snapped. "Everyone, take a drink and then we'll depart." Everyone shouted their approval

While they were walking, Itachi wondered how Saobi got water in a desert. He looked accusingly at Hapinara.

Hapinara just smiled.

* * *

The four of them were relieved to be back in Fire Country. They were finally near the borders of Konoha, only about five miles left to go. They were walking amongst marshy areas with large canopy trees filled with bugs, animals and **water.**

"It's water!" Saobi cried. He dashed over to the swamp, but Hapinara's eyes widened with alarm.

"DON'T!" he roared. Saobi jolted up straight in his spot. He had been prepared to take a sip of **cool** water, instead of the nasty, hot water he'd been having for the past two days. Saobi frowned and whined.

"Hapinara-sensei-"

"**Do not drink the water.**" Hapinara commanded with his eyes, glowing red. Haruna gasped, and her knees gave out from underneath her.

"Hapinara-sensei, your eyes!" she screeched. Itachi sharply took in air through his nose.

Hapinara's old and weary eyes had suddenly turned into a vibrant red, and there was a black shuriken like figure surrounding where his pupils should have been, which had been replaced with the same bright red. "Your eyes..." she said more softly. "That's the-"

"Shinora kekkei genkai?" a smooth, high male voice interjected. The four had looked up to see a man standing on the flimsy branches of a tree without falling. He had long, choppy hair that fell to below his rear. It was a bright crimson, and he had light brown eyes with invisible pupils. With a soft angled nose and high cheekbones, the man had an eerie type of beauty to him. Itachi felt a shudder go along the length of his spine. Goosebumps had appeared on the surface of the skin. He then noticed something. His appearance was strikingly similar to Saobi's. The man smirked and threw his head back and laughed. "You still alive, old man? I thought you would have died years ago. Guess you survived after all. Oh, and nice job telling that I had poisoned the water. That took some professional skill." Saobi shivered. He almost DRANK that water.

Saobi ran over to Haruna who was now trembling on the ground. He placed his jacket over her shoulders. "It's okay, Haruna. He won't hurt you." Saobi said soothingly. It was a waste of time. Haruna did not stop shaking.

"Oh! There little Haruna is!" the man bashfully said. "She's grown up to look like her mother. It's a shame. Uncle said I have to kill her. She's causing too much ruckus, you see." He winked at Haruna. "Don't worry, Haruna-chan. I'll make this as painless as possible." He ran into a giggle fit.

Hapinara glowered at him with his frightening eyes. "I think you're looking for Jin, not Haruna," he stated coldly. The red-haired man chuckled.

"Yes, little Jin. Oh, you see, with all the people that she's killed, I'm a little afraid to go near her, let alone fight her! And she's only two years old!" he squealed. "Oh, did you know that she has a scar on her eye now? It just won't heal! Isn't that just awful?" He had a giant smile on his face.

"I couldn't possibly care less about Jin. That girl is no responsibility of mine." Hapinara sighed. "Get out of here, Koryu. Don't make me hurt you." Koryu's smile faded.

"Old man." He unsheathed his sword. "That's my line. Hand the girl over, and I won't kill you." Hapinara stood his ground. "No?" Koryu asked.

Suddenly he jumped out of the trees, and he had his sword directed toward Hapinara's heart. "Then DIE!" he screeched. He was just inches above Hapinara's head. Then he swiftly flipped in the air and aimed toward his **real** target.

Haruna screamed.

* * *

Any review is welcome here. So please. Do!


	6. The Pretty Red Haired Men

Sorry for a late-ish update. High school sucks! :[ Well, anyway...

Disclaimer: I have not, do not, and will not own Naruto. Ever.

* * *

Flesh from an arm came off. In fact, a whole arm came off. Haruna was covered with dark blood, eyes shut and arms covering her head. A breath in Itachi and Saobi's throat released itself.

A girlish scream came from the red-haired man. He fell to the ground, clutching the spot where his arm had once been.

Hapinara was crouched down, kunai in hand and ready to protect his precious female student. Saobi had fallen to the ground in a fit of fear whilst Itachi had remained frozen.

"Help!" Koryu cried out. "Help me; it's the old man!" Immediately two men came to his aid. One was very tall and very thin. He had his long red hair tied up in a neat bun with senbon keeping it in place. His clothes were regal yet practical, and he had two long swords on his back. His cheekbones high, his lips thin, colored with a vivid green, and with narrow, dull brown eyes, he was quite royal looking. The other was short and stocky, his short, red hair wild and glossy, chocolate eyes. "Asa! Tanj! Look at him, the stupid old man. Cut off my arm!" whined Koryu.

The tall one glowered at Hapinara. "The old fool. How dare he do such a thing to the clan?" he spoke, his voice a creamy, deep baritone. He shifted his glance towards the pervert. "You ,who abandoned the clan, have no right to protect her. Move aside," he demanded.

"Ah, quite the honorable speech, Asa. Perhaps you would like me to get a word in for your father?" Hapinara mocked. The man grew visibly angry.

"Don't speak of subjects you do not know of, Hapinara!" he spat.

* * *

Itachi finally could move again. He looked to Saobi. Saobi was panting heavily despite not moving. Itachi could understand; he, too, was worried for Haruna's safety. As for Haruna, she was quivering all over her body. Her eyes were nervously shooting around, looking for potential predators. He ran hurriedly over to her. He did not understand the current situation, but he wished to. Just in case.

"Haruna." There was no response. "Haruna!" he shouted. She whipped her head around to look at him. "Do you understand what's going on?" he inquired. She nodded her head slowly.

"My mom," she started out. "My mom is part of the Shinora clan." Itachi held her hand to urge her on. "She got into some debt so she started working in a brothel. Then she had me. I probably have some other siblings, too. I remember her being pregnant." Her voice broke, and her throat had obviously gone dry. "I don't know what happened to her," she rasped breathily. "Mom was really rebellious. She probably got into some trouble with the clan, and that's why they're trying to kill me." Itachi's eyes widened.

"That's horrible!" Saobi broke in loudly. Itachi sighed. The boy had obviously recovered his senses.

"Indeed," a raspy voice agreed. The three children gasped.

The stout man stood over them. "Your mama was quite the whore," he said with a smile on his face. He casually pulled out a kunai knife. "You kids will be easy pickings." He whipped the knife at Haruna. Surprisingly, Itachi could see the pathway of the knife. With a grunt, Itachi dragged Haruna out of the way. Suddenly, a burning feeling inflicted his eyes.

"Ng." he said, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands. Saobi gasped.

"Itachi! Come on! What happened, man?" he cried out. He forcibly took Itachi's wrists. "Let me see!" he commanded, and see he did. His eyes grew considerably larger. "What the hell, Itachi! Is this a joke?" he growled.

"What?" Itachi yelled. The man, Tanj, laughed heartily.

"Oh," he giggled, "what a pleasant surprise! The boy has the Sharingan!"

"You're lying," Itachi whispered, fingers exploring his eyelids. Haruna shook her head.

"He's not, Itachi. You have the Sharingan." she confirmed.

The man snickered once more. "This is getting interesting! What will I do next-" Before he could finish his sentence, Saobi applied a blow to his head. He was knocked off balance for a few moments but recovered quickly. "What spunk you have!" Itachi narrowed his eyes. This was unacceptable. Saobi had gotten a hit in before him.

The man made hand signs quickly, too fast to be seen by the normal eye. But Itachi could see it. _Tiger, Ox, Monkey, Rabbit, Sheep, Boar, Ox, Horse, Monkey, Tiger, Dog, Tiger, Serpent, Tiger, Ox, Monkey, Rabbit, Bird. Water Vortex Jutsu!_ he realized. Haruna saw it, too. She clamped her hand onto Saobi's arm and dragged him to the treetops with her. Itachi followed suit.

"Ah, so you can dodge! Let's play a fun game, little kittens!"

"Let's not," Saobi mumbled resentfully. Itachi could not contain his snort of amusement. Once the danger of the water had passed, the three Genin started throwing attacks one by one. They had good effort, but in the end, it wasn't quite enough, and Hapinara and his little squad realized that.

* * *

Asa charged at Hapinara with a strange kind of grace. He swiftly pulled out a long sword, aiming to cut Hapinara's head off. He roared and tried to execute his next move.

Hapinara took one step back casually, missing his death by mere centimeters. "You're a hundred years too young to even think about thinking about defeating me!" he guffawed. Asa snarled at him like a feral beast.

"Shut up-" He blinked.

Hapinara was gone. Koryu and Tanj looked around confusedly, but Asa burst into anger. "Where is that old MAN?" he roared, looking as if he was about to tear down the greenery around them. He rammed his sword into the ground. Koryu rolled his eyes.

"It's not like he cut off **your** arm," he said, picking up the cast away appendage. Asa huffed.

"It's easy to fix that; the elderly woman will fix that for you."

Koryu scoffed loudly and obnoxiously. "Byakue-sama!" he corrected. The three men leapt off to their home in Kirigakure.

* * *

"OW!" Saobi expressed loudly. The nurse was only applying alcohol to a deep cut. He was pretending to be tough on the way home, but his tolerance of this was pathetic. The cry of distress left quite a painful ringing in Hapinara's ears after such a tiring day. He was quite old, after all.

"Shut up, Saobi," Haruna murmured. She was sitting on Mikoto's lap, and Fugaku was holding his youngest son a little nervously.

"Mikoto, he has gotten out of his barfing stage, right?" he asked as Sasuke squirmed in his arms. Mikoto just shook her head and smiled.

Sasuke was on the verge of throwing a tantrum. "Where Ta-Ta?" he shrieked. " I want Ta-Ta!" He began to cry, thrashing about in his father's arms.

"Sasuke, stop!" he commanded, trying to juggle a bottle and his son carefully. Mikoto grinned inconspicuously.

The door opened. It was clear that Itachi had acquired a lovely cast over a broken arm. Mikoto gulped. Haruna got off her lap and let her run to her son. She grasped his shoulders lightly. "How does it feel?" she asked quietly but quickly.

Itachi replied, "Ouch." His injuries were the worst out of his teammates. Haruna and Saobi had a couple of scrapes and bruises, but they had nothing serious. Haruna peered at him demurely, a new feeling he had never seen on her face. She appeared to be feeling guilty.

The Uchiha family and Haruna went their separate ways from Hapinara and Saobi. "Saobi, I'll treat you to dinner!" the sensei proclaimed.

"YES!" came the answer.

* * *

They were about to reach Haruna's little apartment for one. Mikoto hurried Fugaku along, but Itachi remained to say goodbye to his friend. Haruna looked about timidly, but seem to have made a strong decision. "Itachi." she started out.

"Yes?" he responded warmly. Haruna turned a bright red.

"Thank you for protecting me!" she declared in a booming voice. She then expressed her affection by giving Itachi quick peck on the cheek. Itachi stood there, stunned. She scowled at him. "That didn't happen!" she bellowed, running into the apartment complex. Itachi slowly touched his cheek with his good hand.

He was never going to wipe that one off.

* * *

Did you like it? Did you hate it? Comments? Concerns? Questions?

If any of these apply to you, REVIEW!


	7. Going to the Medic

Hey! I'm on a roll here, right? Second chapter in a week, I think? Probably because I've been sick for a whole week now and didn't have to go to school... Anyway!

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.

*Something to keep in mind*- In this story, medics and doctors don't always work the same, 'kay?

* * *

Itachi hated going to get his checkup. His parents always got their useless hopes up which inevitably made his go up too. Every time, they heard the same news. They listed off his symptom: a cough.

"We don't know what's causing the coughs," the medic said. "We scanned the lungs; we found nothing wrong."

Fugaku glowered at him. "You said there had been a breakthrough, and that's why we came," he stated coldly. "Are you wasting my time, sir? I'm a busy man." The medic gulped.

"N-not at all!" he stuttered, a drop of sweat dripping down his neck. "We have developed a medicine of sorts, to treat the symptoms temporarily."

"The symptoms?" Mikoto voiced, obviously angered. Fugaku placed a hand on her arm and shook his head. The medic nodded nervously.

"It will make Itachi more...comfortable." Itachi winced. He wasn't pleased by the idea of taking medicine every day. Also, the medic made it sound as if it would...get significantly worse. While his wife was huffing and puffing, Fugaku sighed in defeat.

"Very well. Give us the medication," he resigned. The medic nodded, obviously pleased at the purchase of his products. He handed a clipboard with the prescription on it, needing Fugaku's signature as a sign of his approval, as well as a pen. Fugaku scribbled his name hastily on the form.

"Good choice, sir. I assure you-" he was interjected by Fugaku's unusually direct impoliteness.

"I don't need any more of your damn assurances. You've broken all the promises you've made so shut the hell up." The medic gaped at the clan head as he shoved the clipboard into his chest. A rare sight to be seen, Fugaku picked his son up by the waist and carried him out of the examination room. Itachi allowed himself to rest his head upon his father's shoulder. It was...upsetting, what the medics had said.

Mikoto was obviously frustrated and surely, by now, hated the medic. It was never the same medic, but they were all hated pretty equally. They always thought they were superior with their knowledge, which wasn't all that much to tell the truth. If they couldn't cure her son, they had no right to brag. A random family stared and pointed at the strange scene between the two forces, and Mikoto shot a dangerous look at them. No matter how rare it was for an Uchiha to be seen in the hospital, they should not find amusement in her son's ailment. The couple walked to the medicine counter, handed over a copy of the prescription, and received the medication. Fugaku furrowed his eyes at the sight of the bottle. He almost could not believe it. This was almost ordinary cough medicine besides an extra amino acid! Begrudgingly, he gripped the bottle with an iron grip.

He hated medics.

* * *

Kinda short, eh? Reviews are greatly appreciated, my loves!


	8. Cats

This chapter is meant just for fluffiness. Thanks for all the reviews and whatnot!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Thank you!" the daimyo's wife squealed. Her cat had run away, but painstakingly, Saobi had caught him. Yes, Saobi.

At first, Itachi thought the mission would be easy. Catching cats were no big deal in his opinion. However, he was proven wrong. No matter how obese the cat looked, he could still get in places where no one else could. Itachi tried and failed, his teammates giggling and pointing at him rudely.

At long last, he had caught the cat! It was short lived, though. The cat had scratched and screeched at him, biting Itachi when the opportunity came up. The cat then escaped unscathed, while Itachi was recuperating on the ground. Saobi leapt through the trees and snatched the cat. He held it a safe arm's length away. Itachi had always hated cats.

Now he was terrified of them too.

Itachi received his mission fees then darted out the building.

"Is there something wrong?" asked the daimyo's wife. Hapinara shook his head.

"Itachi just isn't fond of cats," he said with a giant smile. Haruna and Saobi shared a knowing glance.

* * *

"Itachi!" a voice shrieked. Itachi looked behind him and saw Shisui running towards him. He waited for his older cousin to catch up with him. He then continued to walk home. Walking in line with him, Shisui was panting heavily. "Today, Sasuke threw his first weapon! With great accuracy too!" Shisui complimented. Itachi's eyes widened with pride.

"Today?" he affirmed. Shisui nodded enthusiastically.

"Granted, it was a fork aimed at me..." he added, voice trailing off. Itachi was ignoring him. His head perked up. "I sense Haruna-chan!" He grinned but abruptly frowned. "And Saobi. He should know better!" A lone brow raised on Itachi's face.

"Why?" Itachi inquired.

"Haruna-chan is mine!" Shisui declared. Itachi felt something rumble in his stomach. Something about that... proposition did not sit well with him.

"Foolish," he muttered under his breath. Shisui frowned.

"Hey! What do you mean by that?" he yelled loudly to the younger boy. Itachi ignored Shisui as usual.

* * *

Once home, Itachi immediately visited Sasuke. "I heard you threw your first weapon today." Sasuke nodded vigorously.

"At Shisui!" he added with a chirp. Itachi's lips turned downward.

"Sasuke," he said, catching the toddler's attention. "We only throw at enemies, not friends."

Sasuke cocked his head to the side. "Why?" he asked, lip quivering a little.

Itachi sighed. "We only throw at enemies because we like our friends. We want to keep our friends safe, right?" The younger boy nodded, sticking his thumb in his mouth. "Therefore, we do not throw at our friends." He poked Sasuke in the forehead, making the boy instinctively grab the pained spot. "Do not worry, Sasuke. I just wanted you to know," he chuckled. The boy squealed and snatched his brother's midsection. "I like Ta-Ta's laugh!" he whispered into his brother's shirt. Itachi smiled.

"I like you!" he laughed, ruffling his sibling's hair and tickling him. Sasuke laughed gleefully. He loved his brother, and that would never change.

* * *

That's the end! Of the chapter, I mean... Anyway, just a side note. The Inevitable will probably last something around 50+ chapters. I have it all planned out already. :3 Also, there will be two possible endings to this story. There will be the one at the end of this story( if you're happy with it; it's the same as the manga's), and there will be a sequel (where everyone is happier!)

If you have any questions, please put them in a review. Also, reviews help me write more, and they just plain make me happy. :D So review! REVIEW! REVIEW!

Love,

Me.


	9. My First Kiss Went a Little Like This

Hi! Sorry for the long wait. It's been a busy week, and school's just been unmerciful. This chapter is kind of a filler, though. But it's necessary!

Anyway, I have a couple of announcements.

So I will now try to update every 3-5 reviews I get, but sometimes shit happens so it might not happen. Also, I will probably be changing my penname from missmocha77 to Lee. Anywhooo...

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

"I love you!" the girl declared. Itachi stood there in shock. It was no surprise to him that the girl had a crush on him, but he hadn't expected her to actually tell him and create awkwardness between them.

And awkward it was. It was Itachi's first confession. Come to think of it, he couldn't recall her name at the moment.

"Will you go out with me?" she blurted out. Itachi reluctantly shook his head. "Why?" she cried. She began to wail, and in the end, she ran away. Itachi rolled his eyes. That was enough for one day.

* * *

Haruna burst into his kitchen uninvited with Saobi trailing right behind her, grumbling underneath his breath. "Happy Birthday!" she squealed, throwing her arms in the air. Mikoto chuckled.

"You're a lucky boy, Itachi." Itachi shook his head. Every year, she did this. Coming into his house uninvited, she would wreak havoc amongst everything.

With his short little legs, Sasuke trod into the kitchen. "Haruna!" he cried out. He ran towards her and latched onto her leg, nuzzling it affectionately. Itachi became a little jealous that Sasuke's attention on him could easily be dominated by Haruna's presence. Sasuke had been so sweet the whole day, offering to do things for Itachi and giving him back rubs. He had given Itachi a personally hand-drawn picture that was a little messy and badly done, but Itachi loved it anyway. And now, Haruna was stealing Sasuke away. Except this time, Haruna had on a bashful smile, her cheeks turning a little pink.

"Itachi," she drawled, "Close your eyes and hold out your hands. I'm going to give you your present."

Itachi froze. What unlawful scheme was she planning now? He reluctantly held out his hand and closed his eyes. He heard the tapping of Haruna's feet, and Sasuke, Mikoto, Saobi and Haruna whispering. Then he sensed her get closer.

Then something wet and slimy was pressing on his lips.

Itachi's eyes flew open.

A fish. That was his gift. A dead fish _kissing_ him. He started to splutter and pushed the fish away, wiping the residue away. Immediately, the four started laughing at him. He glared at them as he tried to get the feel of the fish lips off.

Mikoto laughed. "It's okay, Itachi. You'll get your revenge; we're eating him tonight."

* * *

Please, please, please review! They mean the world to me, and every writer knows how it feels to get a good review. If you have any suggestions or questions, I will answer it to the best of my ability IF it doesn't give away too much in the story.

Also, if you request it, I will draw some of the characters and post it on my deviantart if you want to see what they look like. Just ask.

Ja.

Me.


	10. Danger in Sight!

HEY THERE. It's kinda been a while... I needed to think of how to do this chapter. Anyways, I don't want to wait for reviews anymore, so I'm just gonna update whenever I feel like it. But out of the goodness of your hearts, (and there's a lot of good in there ;) ) Please review! I appreciate every single one of them, and I really enjoy reading them. Also, I'm gonna try and make the chapters longer from now on. So...

Disclaimer: Naruto's not mine. Never has been, never will be.

(By the way, if you were wondering, Saobi is three years older than Itachi...)

* * *

"Saobi, your hair is SO adorable."

They had a mission. The biggest one they had yet. They were to escort a daimyo's daughter to a neighboring city. It was fairly simple, but due to the price on her head, it was considered a B-rank mission. This time, the girl was not fawning over Itachi. No, she was drooling over Saobi.

"Thanks, princess," he said with a weary smile. Itachi smirked at the scene, and Saobi shot a glare at him. _Ha. The fool finally knows what it feels like._ The princess kept latching on to his teammate's arm, and Itachi was by no means jealous. If only Haruna could be a little more ladylike like the princess...

Itachi looked back to his female teammate. She was walking in a crude way, her legs seeming to pound the life out of the ground. She had gotten very tan over the years, her skin an unruly khaki. She had once told Itachi that she used to live in a place that always snowed so the pigment in her flesh was more sensitive to sun than that of others. In winter, she'd turn back to her "normal" color (Itachi secretly preferred the browned look).

Saobi was exhausted, but his ears were on alert. He had heard a rustle of bushes someway behind, but his sensei had told him to ignore it.

If only he knew...

"Saobi, you should stay with me at Pokatsu!" the princess Fuuja offered.

Saobi sighed. "Princess, I have a job, y'know." She beamed at him.

"Oh, that's no problem. Daddy can take care of that!" she squealed. "What do you say?"

While it was true that Saobi was three years older than his teammates, his maturity was at least three years younger. "No!" he shouted. "Girls are... Girls are..." He looked at Haruna. "Evil!" he screamed at last.

Haruna raised a brow at this, and Itachi swore he heard his sensei mutter, "smart boy..."

Suddenly a smoke bomb was thrown right in front of Hapinara and behind Saobi. The air around them was to foggy to see, and Itachi almost couldn't dodge the shuriken being thrown at him at lethal points. He stepped to the side, one grazing his shoulder. The smoke started to clear, and Itachi could hear the princess coughing and hacking. He himself felt like coughing due to his weak lungs, but he managed to hold it in. Saobi had resorted to waving his arms wildly, trying to blow the smoke away. Once it had cleared, Itachi looked around them in horror.

They had been separated from Hapinara and Haruna.

Unlike himself, Itachi started to panic, and quickly his lungs started to seize. If they were separated from Hapinara and were dealing with a jounin leveled ninja, there would be no hope. It would be a joke to even hope to win.

Kunai appeared from nowhere, glinting dangerously. Itachi jumped out of the way swiftly, not noticing that all the attacks had been aimed at him. He grunted in pain as his lungs were starting to give out. Saobi regained his ability to move and shouted "ITACHI! BEHIND YOU!"

Too late, Itachi looked behind him, knowing he would not be able to dodge the incoming kunai. Suddenly he felt a bruising force at his back, effectively shoving him out of the way. The realization hit him hard in the head. Saobi had saved him. The boy who always talked about hating him with all his heart had saved him. If Itachi wasn't in so much pain, he could laugh. What a hypocrite.

He had started to wheeze. It was painful, very painful.

"SAOBI!" Haruna screamed. She and her sensei were alone and could not get a good reading on the feel of their teammates' chakras. "ITACHI!" She felt a sense of dread lodging itself in her throat. "ITACHI!"

"Haruna." Hapinara said, his voice unnaturally calm. He started repeating his saying. "Do not panic. The worst thing you can do-"

"-is panic. I know," Haruna sighed shakily. "I know." She crouched down and grasped the back of her neck with her small hands. "I know. But Itachi... that smoke..." Haruna knew deep down that Itachi didn't have good lungs. He pretended to be strong, with much better endurance and strength, but he had to cover up the hacking coughs he had during the night. She knew.

Haruna started to cry. "Hapinara-sensei, what do we do?" she wailed. Mucus threatened to fall out of her nose, but she didn't care. "What if Saobi and Itachi die?"

Hapinara laid one firm hand on her shoulder now that it was the perfect height. "Haruna, Saobi and Itachi will live. We will find them," he assured her. Haruna sniffed and nodded, staggering to her feet. Out of the blue, she felt a very large chakra nearby and gasped.

"Sensei!" she cried out.

"Yes, Haruna. Very good," he praised, pride swelling in his chest while his anxiety tried to overwhelm it. He knew this chakra. It was not good, not good at all...

Princess Fuuja cried out, running to Itachi's side. "Itachi-san, are you okay?" she inquired, seeing his uneven breaths. His lips were starting to turn a fascinating azure, and he could barely stay on his knees anymore. He finally collapsed on the ground. "Itachi-san!" Fuuja bellowed. Saobi looked behind him.

_What the fuck is this? Itachi? That arrogant prick is just laying on the ground! How could he be so weak?_ Saobi cursed mentally. Then something dawned on Saobi.

Itachi wasn't breathing.

However, he didn't have quite enough time for it to sink in completely for a plethora of senbon headed towards Itachi's head. The princess let out a blood curling scream before covering her head and Itachi's back.

To this, Saobi reacted uncharacteristically quickly. He winced as his arm took the blows before picking up his teammate and the princess and bringing them to safety. Setting his... teammate ("He's not my friend!" he seethed,) back on a tree, his lips quivered before opening Itachi's mouth and trying to give him CPR. When it seemed to have some sort of affect, Saobi broke away and wiped his lips in disgust.

"Totally gross," Saobi hissed. Princess Fuuja simply shook Itachi, trying to stir him from unconsciousness. "Stop it. Go hide," Saobi ordered. Princess Fuuja looked up at him with gleaming eyes, looking worried about him. "JUST GO!" he demanded. The Princess nodded and ran off into the forest, letting out breaths of sheer fear. Too slow for Saobi's tastes though.

He let out a frustrated breath. _Women..._


	11. Stuffand Things

I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT.

I would like to thank Silmarion and SectumSemprae for reviewing!

I would also like to thank Silmarion, iceyxstrawberry, and SectumSemprae for alerting/faving!

Please review. Constructive criticsm is welcome. Please share your thoughts; it makes me happy. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

"Haruna, hurry!" Hapinara cried as they jumped through the trees. Haruna nodded as she fought to keep up. "It's necessary that we get there in time. The three of them could be hurt by now."

Haruna nodded, fighting back the tears. She wondered how Itachi was holding up, and more importantly, Saobi...

"Holy shit!" Saobi screamed as smoke bombs started to fly toward him. Swinging Itachi's body over his back in record speed, Saobi flew through the air and just barely missed the smoke. Running farther away from it, he tripped on a rock and nearly dropped Itachi, his breath catching in his throat. Once he was safe from the threat of the rock, Saobi sighed in relief. Then fire blades started to come to him. He screamed again and dodged them all with the exception of the one that singed his sleeve. Then a figure came running out of the smoke. A small figure.

It was a child about four years old. Saobi's eyes widened, and he grinded his teeth so hard that it hurt. The kid had chakra levels higher than Itachi's! Shaking his head to wake himself up, he realized that the girl wasn't moving any closer to him. Stepping into a defensive stance, Saobi tensed and yelled, "What do you want?"

Pointing at the Itachi, the kid said, "Hand him over." Saobi was shocked at the demand. She didn't want the princess; she wanted Itachi. How screwed up was that?

He said something dumb. "Why?" he gritted out. "Why should I hand him over to you?" The girl glared at him.

"That's none of your bee's wax!" she spat. Saobi furrowed his brows. Though this girl was strong, she was still a little baby. If she ran toward him, he could probably hold her off with one arm. He didn't care to try though.

"Then no!" he shouted. "You're not getting the bastard." The girl snorted angrily. Saobi suddenly felt the chakra levels in the area spike. The girl had just performed a Jutsu with no hand signs! Holy shit! Noticing a wave of water rushing towards him, he ran to a tree for support. He then shouted, "HAPINARA-SENSEI!" as the wave came crashing down on him. Feeling like he was gurgling in the water, he wondered how Itachi was faring. Meh, he was unconscious anyway so it didn't really matter.

Hapinara heard the strained cry of his student. He immediately pinpointed where the two of them were. It was faint, but it was good enough. Also, the chakra he felt...

_Oh no_, he thought. _This isn't good._ "This way, Haruna! Keep up now!"

"Yes, sensei!"

The little girl's lips lifted into a snarl as she couldn't kill the other kid. Yagura-sama had told her specifically told her not to kill anybody except the target, Uchiha Itachi. However, things would be so much easier if she could just kill this kid, too, except he was covering the target with his own body and life. The senbon were sticking out of his arm like porcupine spikes, and it looked extremely painful.

Then a shuriken flew at the back of her head. Catching it easily with two fingers, the girl whipped around to find Hapinara hopping down from a tree. "Darn, the old man's here," she hissed. Quickly executing a transportation jutsu, she ran from the scene. Yagura-sama would not pleased with her, and she wouldn't get paid.

"You're late!" growled Saobi, still clinging to the tree for dear life. Hapinara rolled his eyes.

"I'm perfectly on time, kid." Haruna saw Itachi's unconscious body draped over Saobi's shoulders.

"Itachi!" she cried out, rushing to his side. Helping Saobi settle Itachi on the ground, Haruna found that Itachi still had a pulse. "Thank God," she whispered gratefully. Itachi's lips were still slightly blue, but he was breathing nonetheless. Looking to her other teammate, she saw his numerous wounds.

Suddenly she had Saobi in a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you, Saobi. Thank you so much!" she whimpered. His pain long forgotten, Saobi blushed fiercely while smirking. _Heh, Itachi doesn't get this kind of treatment. _He stuck his tongue out at the unconscious boy.

Taking Itachi's body, or rather somewhat dragging it, Hapinara-sensei patted Haruna on the rump. "Go find Princess Fuuja," he ordered. Haruna happily went off to do her task. While setting Itachi against a tree, Hapinara's hands glowed an eerie yellow. Saobi furrowed his brows in confusion.

"What's that?" he asked. Hapinara, still absorbed in his task, did not answer him at first.

Finally, after a pregnant pause, he answered, "It is healing chakra. I only know the basics so this will probably only be temporary. " Pouting, the red-haired boy stared off into the distance in contemplation. "Tell me what happened back there," Hapinara commanded. Saobi easily and readily complied.

"So after we were separated, this girl kept attacking us. Itachi couldn't breathe so he passed out. She attacked Itachi and Fuuja again so I brought them to a safer place. I told Fuuja to run," he said while eyeing his sensei, making sure he wasn't nodding off. "Then there was another bomb and out of it came this little kid. Like, four years old. Maybe five. She had really long white hair and a scar over her eye." Hapinara's eyes narrowed. So... it was as he had feared.

Madara had sent Momochi Torino to assassinate Itachi.

Itachi woke up to a mess of red hair. Opening his big eyes, the world slowly blurred into focus. Haruna and Fuuja were to his right, and Hapinara was to his left. He heard Saobi chuckle. "Awake now, princess?"

"...nngh." he answered, not really wanting to talk at the moment. Or think. Saobi snorted ungracefully.

"That wasn't nice of you to say to your rescuer," he said proudly in a snobbish voice. "You should be grateful!" Itachi ignored him and turned to the girls. Haruna smiled at him first. Itachi felt butterflies swarm his stomach when she smiled.

"You're awake," she whispered. Itachi was about to say something back, but the princess cut him off.

"You've been asleep for quite some time," Fuuja chimed in. "But don't worry; we're nearing the city now." Nodding, Itachi lay his chin on Saobi's shoulder again. He would finally be able to have a good night's rest...

"Stupid girl!" Yagura yelled while throwing a book at her. "You failed me, Torino." Wiping a trickle of blood from her head, Torino bowed deeply. Her brother behind her did the same.

"Forgive me, Yagura-sama. Hapinara was there, and I knew I wouldn't get the mission completed when he was around. Yagura growled menacingly.

"Hmm...maybe if I killed your brothers, you would cooperate a little better, huh? Little shi-" Torino drew out her sword and pointed it at the Mizukage's neck, her young face contorted with anger.

"If I hear that anything about you even touching them, I will kill you!" she screamed, shielding her brothers behind her. Yagura held his hands up in defense.

"Fine, fine, you win, Jin," he casually slurred.

"Glad we made that clear," Shinora Jin growled, walking out of the office to keep her eye on him.

Once safely out, Jin looked at her brother Sotche. "Nee-chan," he asked with scratchy voice. "How long do you still have to kill people? I don't like it when you become Torino." Jin sniffed.

"Neither do I. But... Daru's eyes. I can't stop till I get enough money to fix them," she answered. Sotche pouted.

"I guess Nii-chan deserves to have those eyes. After all, even though he's blind, he's the first one to have the kekkei genkai in over one hundred years.

Jin stumbled on the snow.

She didn't like killing people. She really didn't. It didn't help that she had a photographic memory either. She was only seven. Zabuza made her do it at first, and then Yagura did. At first, he didn't, but Jin sensed something change in Yagura a little after he started his reign.

The great kekkei genkai was present in Daru's eyes. It'd be shame if he didn't keep them even though he was blind. He just needed a highly expensive operation to fix them. So Jin would continue to take mercenary jobs until they had enough.

"Itachi!" Mikoto cried out. "What happened to you?" she asked, shaking the boy on Saobi's back.

"It's nothing, Mother," he comforted. He looked to Haruna who simply shrugged. She wouldn't be able to help him.

"The stupid idiot overdid and fell asleep," Saobi interjected. "I just helped out a little." Mikoto smiled at the boy warmly, and Itachi almost did the same. It was a nice cover.

"Thank you, um..."

"This is Saobi, Mikoto-san!" Haruna chimed in. Mikoto grinned again, showing sets of white teeth.

"Thank you, Saobi-kun." Saobi just grunted and let Itachi off his back. Sasuke, who had been hiding behind Mikoto, ran to his brother.

"Ta-Ta! Are you okay?" he cried. Itachi poked him in the forehead.

"I am fine, Sasuke." Sasuke smiled at Itachi but shot a glare at Saobi.

"Don't call Ta-Ta an idiot." He stuck his tongue out at Saobi. "Or you'll regret it." Saobi's eye twitched dangerously as he cracked his knuckles.

"Ready to make me regret it, kid?" Sasuke gulped and hid behind his mother.

"He's so scary!" he whispered loudly to his mother who silently giggled.

"Would you like to come over for dinner, Saobi-kun? We have room for two more..." she said, eyeing Haruna as well.

"I'm going!" Haruna chirped. "Come on, Saobi! There's no harm in it."

Saobi sighed. Just this once...

"Mikoto-san, this is the best thing I've ever eaten!" Saobi exclaimed, his face stuffed and food particles strewn all over it. Fugaku nearly bit his tongue in the complete lack of table manners the boy had. Mikoto giggled.

"Thank you, Saobi-kun. You're so adorable," Mikoto complimented. Saobi turned a bright red and scratched the back of his head. "I'm sure your mother makes better things."

Saobi shook his head. "I live alone," he said casually. Suddenly five pairs of eyes were focused on him. "What?" he said, shrugging. "It's not a big deal."

"I believe it is," Itachi chimed in for the first time that night. "Why didn't you ever tell us?" he asked a little angrily. Haruna also was looking at Saobi with a little bit of sympathy in her eyes.

"It's not important."

"Yes, it is." Saobi abruptly stood up.

"Are you picking a fight, Uchiha?" he snorted. Itachi stood up as well, albeit more gracefully.

"Perhaps I am, idiot," he offered, narrowing his eyes at his teammate.

"Go Ta-Ta!" Sasuke cheered, raising his fork in the air with his chubby fist. Then Fugaku stood up, slamming the table with his palms.

"That's enough, boys! Have a little decency around here. We wouldn't want to waste this evening fighting, would we?"

"Of course we would, Father; don't be silly," Itachi said. Fugaku's jaw dropped, showing the lovely shape of his mouth. His son had never back talked this way to him before. Perhaps he legitimately hated his teammate...

"Itachi... don't be so harsh," Mikoto warned. "We don't want Sasuke picking up any of these bad habits."

"Yes, Mother," Itachi obeyed. Fugaku grinded his teeth. Why did Itachi listen to Mikoto but not to him? It simply wasn't fair. He knew he was pouting, but he didn't really care. He was the head of the Uchiha clan, damn it! He would pout if he wanted to.

After dinner, Saobi went home, smiling brightly at a practically glowing Mikoto.

"Ooh, he's so cute! Can we keep him?" she teased Fugaku.

"I forbid it," he grunted. Mikoto batted her eyelashes at him.

Hanging her arms crossed over his shoulders, she pouted with suddenly sexy looking lips. "Pretty, pretty please?" she purred. Fugaku closed his eyes and smiled, placing his hand on the arch of his wife's back.

"Maybe," he said sensually. "If you make it worth my while."

Mikoto just grinned at him as she kissed him softly.


	12. Chuunin

Very sorry for the long wait! I'd like to thank those who reviewed and put this on their fav/alert lists. :) I love you all. If it wouldn't trouble you too much, could you please review?

I've tried adding more brotherly love here. Tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

"Excuse me?" Itachi whispered. Hapinara let out a hearty laugh.

"I've recommended the three of you for the Chuunin exams!" he voiced loudly. "I'm sure you're all ready for it. Indeed! Let the power of youth guide you! Except for you, Itachi. You're older than I am."

"Sensei, are you sure we're ready?" Haruna said skeptically. "I think we kind of suck." Itachi could only nod in agreement. They failed many of their missions. Mainly, it was Hapinara's fault, but none of the team would say that.

"Yes, that is true, but nonetheless, I believe you are all ready. Saobi, you just kind of suck at everything-"

"HEY!"

"-but you're good at winging it and playing dirty. Taijutsu strength." An angry flush coating his cheeks, Saobi just crossed his arms and pouted. "Haruna, you're smart, and you are good at medical care. Itachi, your ninjutsu and genjutsu are undoubtedly the best of the group."

"He's cheating," mumbled Saobi, receiving a glare from Itachi. "Hey, eyes on the teacher!"

"We agreed that we would have no more staring contests, boys. If you're going to settle something, use words."

"Hapinara-sensei, Itachi doesn't talk."

* * *

"Nii-san, are you really going to take the Chuunin exams with Haruna nee-chan?" Sasuke asked sweetly. Itachi nodded, taking a sip of his tea. "And the red pig?" That was probably Saobi.

"Yes, with the red pig." Sasuke pouted and crossed his arms.

"I don't want you to," he murmured, swinging his legs against the porch ledge. "I'll be lonely, all by myself." Itachi sighed.

"You won't be by yourself. You'll have mother."

"Mom isn't the same as you!" Itachi sighed yet again as Sasuke clutched his shirt and buried his face into his chest. "You shouldn't take it."

"I have to," Itachi said shortly. "I won't let my teammates down." Sasuke just increased his grip. "Sasuke, someday you will have a team too. And you will have a responsibility to them. You will understand then."

"I'll never understand!" Sasuke cried, punching his brother repeatedly. Itachi grunted. It wasn't that it hurt, but it was hard to keep upright with a five year old pounding on your chest. He finally had enough and caught his little brother's fists in his larger hands.

"Sasuke, you will. Now, I love you most little brother, but I have to go train with Saobi now. His everything needs work. Haruna will watch over you." Sure enough, Haruna came into the house, looking for Sasuke.

"Sasuke-chan, I'm here!" she sang. Sasuke immediately jumped up and catapulted in her direction.

"Haruna-neechan!" he called out, surely latching onto her leg like he always did. "Is it true you and nii-chan are going to take the Chuunin exams with the red pig?"

"Yeah!" Haruna exclaimed. "I can't wait."

"No! You have to convince nii-chan not to go!"

"Sasuke-chan, don't worry! I'll protect him." Itachi simply rolled his eyes. Like hell she would.

* * *

"Saobi, you are too slow. If I-"

"If you were the enemy, I'd be dead now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard it before. Who told you to get on your high horse?" Saobi scowled. Dragging himself from the ground, he grumbled almost deliriously, cursing his life. "One more time!"

"You've had enough, Saobi."

"Shut the fuck up!" he hissed, rubbing his aching back. "I said one more time!"

"Very well." He ran forward, nearly catching Saobi off-guard. Saobi swept his foot idly from side to side, and Itachi knew that Saobi had had enough. "That's enough." He simply pushed Saobi, and he fell over. "This is wasting time. If you knew what was good for you, you would train more diligently." After he said those words, he immediately regretted it. He knew it had taken Saobi a lot of courage to ask him for his help for Saobi was stuffed with pride. He looked at the ginger, and sure enough, Saobi was glowering at him.

"Fuck you," he mumbled, wearily standing up and dusting himself off. "I'm going home." Now, Itachi had to find the courage to apologize.

* * *

"Whoo-hoo!" Shisui congratulated, patting his younger cousin on the back roughly. "You made it, Itachi! Well, you too Saobi." They had all made it, thankfully. There was just a survival portion, having to live through Chuunin and Genin alike attacking you. Itachi had actually gotten hurt, forcing Saobi to carry him. It was rather a funny sight, since Saobi was smaller than both Haruna and Itachi.

"Thanks!" the ginger snapped sarcastically. Shisui ignored him and turned his attention to Haruna.

"Haruna-chan, you did it," he complimented softly, placing a gentle kiss on her hand. Haruna blushed lightly and looked in Itachi's direction. He tried to nonchalantly brush it off, but inside, he was burning with jealousy. No matter how he looked at it, it wasn't fair. Shisui had been the object of Haruna's affection for a long time now, but she would never admit it to the said boy. She decided to confide it in Itachi instead. She said she had contemplated telling Saobi, but Itachi knew he would turn green with jealousy, creating Christmas colors. He told her not to.

This was his version of an apology.

"Nii-chan, you did it!" a little squeal came. "You're alive!" Itachi smiled and caught the little form that had bombarded his way. Sasuke.

"Of course he's alive, little brat."

Sasuke pouted and stuck his tongue out. "Shut up, red pig."

Haruna's body started wracking with silent laughter whilst Saobi turned very red.

"RED _PIG_?" he hissed, rolling up his sleeves. "Why I oughta-"

"Good job, son." Fugaku stated gruffly. Itachi narrowed his eyes. His father seemed stressed. The vein in his neck was protruding ever so slightly and beads of sweat were hanging to his body.

"Father, is something wrong?" Fugaku shook his head briefly.

"We'll talk about it later, Itachi."

* * *

Thank you for reading!


	13. Second Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

Itachi was on an A-class mission for the first time in his life. He was a little unnerved by it, but it was all right since his cousin, Shisui, was there. His very presence comforted Itachi, although it also annoyed him. He had told him, "Little cousin, don't worry about it. My team will protect you if we have to." His team was, of course, all Uchiha. They had been missing a member for quite some time and when Itachi made Chuunin, the team leader jumped at the opportunity to get the genius Uchiha Itachi on his team. It would look if he had two of them, after all. Shisui and Itachi were often seen as the little geniuses of their time, the cream of the crop. Probably second to only Kakashi, who was rather smart for his age as well. He had apparently made Chuunin at age six. How young he was...only to become a killer. It was pitiful, really.

The team was briefed just outside of the gates. But it wasn't really brief. It took a whole hour to plan everything. They couldn't afford to screw this up since it was an assassination.

Assassination. That word had taken its toll on Itachi. He didn't want to do this. He had no right to kill the target. He had no right to let the target die. Shisui had assured Itachi that he didn't have to kill anybody this time; he was just there for the experience. "It'll be fun!" he had said.

They walked along the path to a dirty, little village where their target had been living for the past six years. He was a middle-aged thief, having stolen nearly three trillion yen from Konoha. The elders had told them to keep that on the down low, well, not exactly like that since those were Shisui's words, but it was to be kept secret; the citizens of Konoha did not have to know. Shisui said it had been amazing that they even disclosed the reasons behind the mission; usually at this level, things like that didn't happen. You were kept in the dark, even as you were murdering someone you knew nothing about.

Itachi sighed, something that he had picked up from his real team. Not previous. Real. He felt...uncomfortable around these people. He was much more free around Haruna and Saobi, since they were both idiots. His sensei was a moron , too, so all was well there.

But this team was intense. There was to be no moronic horsing around here, no faux fights or screaming at each other. It would be orderly, and insubordination would not be tolerated. They were teammates, not friends, and it would stay that way.

Throughout the whole journey, he wondered how the people could talk normally to one another. They were about to kill someone in cold blood, and they could go on without a care in the world. Thankfully, none of them noticed his distressed expression. Or perhaps, it wasn't thankfully. Perhaps it was regretfully. The mission was accomplished rather quickly. The target was cornered quickly, he begged for his life, and the team leader smiled as he brought the sword down across the target's neck.

When the target's blood was spilled, Itachi squeezed his eyes shut.

seven months later...

He had passed them by chance in the street, and it was a tad bit awkward. For him, at least. And the other children. However, Hapinara gave him the same toothy grin.

"Hello, Itachi!" he squawked. "How have you been, boy?"

"I am well," Itachi said stiffly and tried to proceed on his way, but Hapinara's tiny hand stopped him.

"Hold on one second! Itachi, the beauteous Haruna needs some practice on a new jutsu. I would like to have her test it on you."

"Sensei, couldn't I just beat up Saobi?"

"Why me?" protested Saobi. No one paid any attention to that.

"What type of jutsu?" Itachi asked, interested now.

"Medical type." Itachi looked at Haruna, and she shrugged her shoulders. So it wasn't new. It had been going on for some time.

"I have some time," he said. Truth be told, he didn't really. ANBU examinations were coming up, and he had to do more difficult training Father desperately wanted him to join. He didn't know why, but he would not go against him. He believed he could indulge them.

Besides, he had missed them all.

Hapinara gave him a wrinkled smile.

"What do I have to do?"

"You and Saobi just have to rough each other a little bit. That's all," Haruna said in a matter of fact tone. "Then I'll fix up any boo-boos you got."

"Simple enough," Hapinara agreed, nodding his large head up and down. "Come, boys and girl. Off to our training ground!"

The walk was uncomfortable. They had not talked in the longest time, almost a year. Haruna and Itachi were eleven, Saobi was fourteen, and Hapinara was...well, his age didn't matter, but that wasn't the point. It had been a very long time. Saobi didn't change at all, he was still glaring at Itachi with a fiery passion. Despite being three years older than Itachi, Saobi was about three inches shorter. That gave Itachi a little bit of satisfaction. He was stronger than Saobi too. That made him feel a little bad.

They arrived at the training grounds, and Saobi immediately attacked Itachi. That made the younger grin a bit. He felt like everything was the way it used to be, that this was a return to normalcy. But inside him, there was just a little voice reminding him that this wasn't real. He would have to go back. However, Itachi ignored that voice for a while, letting this moment seep in through his bones. Of course, it was done all too soon. There was clear difference in strength between Saobi and himself, Itachi being infinitely stronger. Saobi already had a plethora of bruises on him, and Itachi had some as well, though they were minor scratches and bumps. Itachi didn't even remember what he did to Saobi. It was all instinct now. Killing was second nature, and injuring others came not too far behind.

Itachi was despicable.

Haruna called him over first, seeing as he had to leave shortly. "I promise it won't sting _too _much," she teased. When Itachi had no reaction, she sighed. "Whatever. Let's get this over with." She commanded him to sit down, and he did quickly. He stared at her hands as they ghosted over his skin. She called energy to her hands and began to heal.

Itachi jerked his arm away as he felt something foreign enter him. It wasn't chakra. It felt sinister, vile. He almost regretted it when he saw her face. Shocked and betrayed. Haruna just took in a shaky breath. Itachi still felt no remorse though.

"You were making it worse. You're using something forbidden, Haruna. I will report you."

She gasped this time. "What? How could you even say that? I was just healing you-"

"No, you weren't. I never thought you'd be like this." He waited for her to apologize, something he had seen his teammates do in the past year. They stared at each other for a while, at a stalemate. Finally, Haruna huffed in frustration and blew her bangs out of her eyes.

"Okay, Itachi," she said, throwing her arms up dramatically, turning her back on him. "Have it your way."

Itachi did. He stomped away gracefully, something else he had picked up from his team.

Hapinara approached Haruna and asked, "Did you tell him-"

"No!" the girl snapped. "It doesn't matter. He doesn't care now. Just leave him alone from now on; don't worry about me."

* * *

I am so sorry for updating so late! Unfortunately, I lost the outline kind of so I have to redo it. Poop.

I will try (try being the key word) to update sooner next time! LIfe just bit me in the butt.


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